


Shards Of Ice

by ShadowOfHapiness



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Assassination Plot(s), Elsa and Oleg make a cake, Elsa masters her powers a little more, Elsa saves the day, F/F, Flower Crowns, Girls Kissing, Hans is also in this fic, Helpful Anna, Hurt Anna, Hurt/Comfort, Ice Powers, Ice Skating, Insecure Elsa, Kind Anna, Master Anna, Master/Slave, Nightmares, Overly Excited Anna, Past Abuse, Protective Anna, Public Kissing, Slave Elsa, Unrelated Anna/Elsa (Frozen), but I promise he isn't a villain, public acknowledgment of feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2017-06-28
Packaged: 2018-04-19 21:45:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 91,874
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4762130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowOfHapiness/pseuds/ShadowOfHapiness
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When princess Anna finds herself gifted a personal slave for her twentieth birthday, her life changes, as she becomes fascinated with the broken girl she's been given as a servant. Discovering her present's supernatural abilities and how she was forced to conceal them, Anna just might be able to help Elsa heal, offering her the one thing she'd always been denied, love. [Elsanna]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A New Begining

Spring had already settled in Arendelle when they arrived. It was a town they always stopped in, every time they were on their way home from their unhealthy business. Each year, they'd bring a variety with them, of which most would end up sold, and those unfortunate enough to not have been cause of interest were, more probably often than not, left to starve, as they continued on. This year was no different, and the crowd that had gathered in the main square, waiting eagerly for them to display what they had to offer and start negotiating prices, was definitely going to be bringing this slave trader some good money.

He watched, from where he stood, as one by one, the items up for auction were brought up, some old, some young, both girls and boys, sometimes the price was high, and sometimes low, sometimes it was source of arguments, and sometimes, the new master acquired his good without having to risk more than he was willing to pay, but none of the slaves presented before him caught his interest.  
And he was nervous about it.

His daughter's coming of age ceremony was tomorrow, and he'd not found anything he deemed suitable enough for her in the past week, and it was not fault of trying. This was his last chance, and he knew it, but as each grim faced, filthy and bony prisoner was firstly brought forward, then auctioned and finally led down to it's new master, his despair of ever finding his girl any gift she might be satisfied with grew ever more.

That was, until _she_ was brought forward.

He didn't know what it was in her, for truth be told, there was nothing much to her, but something immediately drew his eyes to the new slave the trader had displayed and opened bets on.

"Now, _this_ one is special." He was saying, snide voice barely concealing how gleeful he felt about his trade, "Got her from an old woman, in the lands of the North." Which sent whispers running through the crowd at his feet, for the North was better left alone, nobody really knowing what was found up there. "Look at her! The shiniest blonde hair! Skin whiter than snow! And…" He rubbed his hands in glee, leaning down to almost whisper to those he would be getting his money from, eyes darkening and smile making him feel sick to his stomach as he looked on, "Powers! Magical powers!"

If he'd been looking to make an impression, it did work, but probably not as good as he'd expected, for his potential clients recoiled in fear, as if burnt, screaming obscenities such as "Get the Witch away from here!" or "Go! Now! And take your monster with you!". The unfortunate trader was biting his lip, probably even cursing himself for his choice of words, and even though he tried to catch himself by praising the shivering girl still standing to his left, it did very little to regain the interest of the mass.

Although while they might not have been interested, and he probably valued the word of a slave-trader as much as he valued the word of a liar, he found himself staring at what the tradesman was offering, and actually almost considering it, after a moment of reflection.

There wasn't much to offer, truth be told, but she seemed to have something that the previous slaves did not. He couldn't point out what exactly it was, but maybe it had to do with her hair, a blonde almost white even, very uncommon in these lands, or maybe it was her skin, whiter even than that of a dead corpse, but no less intriguing, he found himself thinking. She definitely stood out, compared to what he'd been previously offered, and despite her shaking limbs and terrified eyes darting from one person throwing insults of what monster she was to another -which definitely did not prove her as a resilient slave, to his eyes at least- his hand seemed to wander by itself, fingers fumbling through his pockets until they touched the leather pouch he kept securely within there.

"Good people! Good people! Please, consider! An item as valuable as this one, you might not see again in your lifetime! Think about it! Reconsider!" The trader was pleading, eyes darting from an old man to a mother of three, saying anything he could think of to sell his good, blabbering praises of a hard worker, a skilled cooker and even a possible bed warmer –to the poor girl's shock- as he turned to the men.

But still, the uproar continued, curses of monsters and not wanting any witchcraft in Arendelle fusing from all corners, going so far as to even drown the man's bragging, until one voice rang out above the rest, strong and powerful, immediately silencing the enraged mob, and reducing everybody to silence.

"I'll take her!" As the words left his lips, all eyes fell on him, and it took a moment for the man to finally realize that he'd actually bought the girl without thinking of it twice. The crowd parted almost instantly, as whispers of "Sire?" and "Your highness?" followed him as he made his way forward, to the elevated platform upon which the auction was still taking place.

"S-Sire?" The trader's voice faltered, as he drew himself to his full height, easily dominating the other man thanks to his tall stature. "Sire!" He cried out again, fumbling around as he looked between he and the good he was about to part with, "This one is not good enough for royalty! I can find you another –Look! What about this one? A fine young woman, curves where she needs to and exotic dark skin, most beautiful! I'll even make you a price, if you wish!"

The King looked at him with contempt, not having missed how the girl kept her gaze locked with the ground, shoulders trembling slightly as her master tried bargaining. He noticed how she kept her hands together, fingers curling into fists and then unfurling themselves as she tried not to display her anxiousness and biting her lip as she dared not meet anyone's' eyes. He felt for her then, even if she was to be a servant in his grand household, which only served to make him want to buy her even more.

"I _will_ buy her." He glared at the now quivering man beneath him, eyeing him menacingly as he was still pointing to other items he was willing to offer him for a good price, before handing him over a pouch of golden coins, sealing the deal.

"Very well, then, Sire." He sang, counting the golden coins he'd just been thrown, before he went for a small bag he kept on the floor, taking papers out of it and bringing them over, "If you would just sign here-" And he pointed to the bottom of the sheet, passing the girl's guardianship over to himself and his family "- I need a name, Sire."

"Doesn't she have one?" The King raised a brow, taken aback. What person did not have a name?

"Well, unless you wish to call her Number Thirty-Two for the rest of her days, or… other names you might come up with, no." And the sick smile that kept spreading across his face made the King suddenly feel quite uneasy, urging him to finish up his business here as fast as possible. But what ought he to call her? What if she didn't like what he chose to write down?

"Don't you have a name?" Ha asked her, to everyone's surprise, the slave's most of all, as she almost took a step back, staring at him with wide blue eyes.

"No! Of course she-" The slaver tried to interrupt, but one glare from the King reduced him to silence, fearing for his own safety, and he valued his own life above that of his goods, always had and always would.

The slave herself was at a loss, what ought she to say? She was in the presence of the King himself, he'd asked her a question, yet here she stood, mouth hanging open slightly as she took it all in, realizing that he was actually offering her the chance to chose her own name, if she wished, actually letting her _chose_ something for herself. Long ago, she might have known what that felt like, naming something or someone, but after years of service for one Matser and then another, she'd learnt that choosing a name for herself was a privilege she was no longer worthy of, yet here the King of Arendelle himself was, giving her the chance to keep a small part of her identity with her while she served him.

"The King asked you a question!" The trader spat, raising a hand that would have struck her, were the King not to have taken hold of his limb, glaring at him and daring him to attempt it a second time.  
The slave shuddered, looking between the two before remembering her place, and casting her eyes downwards, knowing looking someone levelly in the eyes meant that she was their equal, which she'd learnt a long time ago that she was not.

"My name was E-Elsa, Mylord." It came out as a whisper, as she barely dared to say it again, but it had been a direct command from her new owner, she could not refuse, and as soon as the words left her lips, Elsa looked down, waiting for the hand to strike her face, knowing it would happen. It always happened when she dared to talk.

"Well," The voice wasn't threatening, wasn't even hard, and as Elsa dared to look up, she found the King smiling, actually smiling down at her, something she'd not experienced in years, and the strange warmth that bloomed in her chest at the reaction was the best thing she could swear had happened to her in her life yet, "Elsa it is then." And he nodded to the slaver, a silent order to write the name down on the papers, which he hastened to do, fearing he might get further threatened.

"Thank you very much, Sire, pleasure doing business with you." He bowed once he finished, his smile revealing several rotten teeth, the king wincing inside and trying hard not to grimace, before the man handed him over the papers, which he tucked under his arm.

"Have fun." He whispered into the girl's ear, before pushing her forward, sending her stumbling slightly, and she would have fallen had in not been for the King's quick reaction.

"I apologize, Sire!" Was her immediate response, not able to look the man in the eyes, knowing what was bound to come next, but the blow never landed, and after a few seconds where she dared not move, Elsa tentatively looked up, only to find herself frozen, not understanding why the King was looking at her like that, a warm smile on his face and a strong hand on her shoulder, steadying her less she fall. Masters didn't _do_ that, so why was he?

"Let's go, shall we?" He suggested, smile never leaving his face, as he gestured to the road in front of them, and Elsa complied, both anticipating and fearing what was about to happen to her now. What if she was a disappointment? What if the King and his family didn't like her? What would happen to her then? Biting her lip anxiously, steps faltering at times, she resigned herself, knowing there was nothing she could do but accept her new role as a servant, and try her best to live up to what they asked of her without letting her powers get in the way.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, she found herself thinking after a while, after all, the King had offered her the chance to chose her own name, which was more than she'd been offered in the past years she'd spent as a slave.


	2. Shedding The Skin, Or Trying To

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Elsa tries to deal with the transition she's going to have to make, but has a bit of a problem when her powers start resurfacing in the royal bathrooms...

Elsa remained with the King for the rest of the day, as he went about town, where he stopped by the baker, a nice man by the name of Kristoff, from whom he picked up a chocolate cake, and dropped into the jewelers to collect a parcel he’d ordered a week ago. As the two made it back to the castle, Elsa offered to carry one of the bags, but the King politely refused, arguing that she might still need a little time to readjust to all of this, and adding chores would only tire her. The girl complied quietly, still not quite understanding how someone could be both so nice and understanding to a servant.

“Ah, well, here we are.” The King sighed, content, as the two came to a halt in front of the biggest gates Elsa had ever seen in her short life. Peering behind the barriers however, lay the most stunning home she’d laid eyes on, as she gaped, mouth open slightly, as she took in the enormity of her new home.

The King smiled kindly, as he saw her obvious awe at the place, knowing the castle could appear as quite intimidating when one would see it for the first time.

“I hope you’ll like it here.”

“It-It’s… It’s wonderful.” Elsa managed to breathe out, not out of politeness but because she really meant it. Maybe her new master would not show him or herself kind, but at least, she now had all this place she could wander through when she would feel the need to do so, that is, if she was allowed.

She let the King enter first, as was polite, and, after picking up his bags and taking a few steps, she followed, still gazing in awe at the sheer _size_ of the place. They both nodded at the guards posted at the door, as they entered, the King hanging his light coat up once they were inside.

If her breath had not been taken away from her by just getting a first glimpse of the outside of the castle, it definitely was now, as Elsa turned around several times, as she caught every minute detail of the great hall, from the intricate carvings on the stairs to the designs of the curtains, and this was hands down the most luxurious place she’d ever set foot into, everything looked so rich, yet so delicate at the same time, that she almost felt out of place, a dirty slave among all this refinery. Surely, she would not be kept here though, she thought after a moment, as she gazed out the grand window to her left, it would be too good. She would probably be put on a leash and attached to some post outside, where she would spend the night once her new owner grew tired of her, before she would be called again at the crack of dawn tomorrow morning, yes that was it, that was what was going to happen. Still, she thought, she would rather be confined to the gardens than stay another night with the wretched trader, nothing could be worse than being sent back to him.

She almost bumped into the King as he stopped in front of one of the doors along the corridor they’d taken, and again blabbered apologies until he put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head fondly and telling her to stop, that she didn’t have to say sorry every two minutes anymore. Elsa just nodded however, afraid she might do something else likely to upset him, and upsetting the King would probably warrant a punishment far worse than that which she’d experienced at the hands of her former master.

Opening the door, Elsa found herself lead into a grand bathroom, with flawless white tiles and a huge tub, probably bigger even than some of the common baths she’d had to use while traveling. Still, she stared, a little dumbfounded and not too sure why exactly she’d been brought here.

“I thought maybe you’d like to bathe, before meeting Anna.” The King explained, as he turned back to her, “You can take as long as you wish though, she won’t be going anywhere.” He chuckled, gesturing to the tap and the many soaps on the edge of the tub, before taking a step towards the door.

“Y-You mean, I can-?” Elsa was at a loss, nobody had ever offered her such a luxury, and if she had bathed in the past years, it had never been alone, privacy was another thing she’d had to renounce when her freedom had been taken away from her.

“Of course you can!” He laughed lightly, trying not to embarrass the poor girl even more. She was probably confused enough as it was already, no point in playing games of trust just yet. “I’ll be fetching my wife, who could be anywhere in this maze of rooms, so take all the time you need, and if you need anything, just pull on the short rope here,” and he gestured to a small cord hanging next to the tub, which would allow her to call for a servant if the need arose, “We will be waiting for you just outside.”

And suddenly, she found herself alone in the room. She didn’t move at first, afraid that this was a bad joke, that someone might just be waiting for her to start undressing to open the door on her and catch her in a less than compromising appearance, but as a minute and then two passed, and still nobody could be heard, Elsa decided that she just might be inclined to trust the King.

Hesitantly, she walked over to the bath tub, which looked even bigger once she could see it up close, and trailed a finger along the white marble, and how soft it felt compared to the public facilities she’d had to use all of her life until today. At the thought, she almost recoiled, thinking her skin might soil the precious item, but the King had said she could use it, so she could touch it too, right? Nodding to herself, as if trying to convince herself that she had been allowed to do this, she brought a shaking hand to the tap, and ever so lightly, she turned it. The water that started pouring was the clearest she’d seen in ages, and as she stared at it longingly, passing a finger or two under it from time to time, she let the liquid flow until it reached a comfortable warmth for her. Putting the plug into the bath, thus letting it fill up, Elsa turned back, and made sure nobody was at the door before she brought her hands to the hem of the ragged clothes she was wearing. This was it, this was the final step she was taking to finally be free from the wretched trader that had made her life Hell for years, and as she pulled the fabric over her head, shedding her old skin and letting it fall to the ground, she felt a certain amount of freedom now, even though she was still chained to her new position for the years to come.

Turning back to the tub, she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror in the corner of the room, and, unable to tear her eyes away from herself, she took a step forward, staring at her reflection as she came to a stop in front of the glass. As she took in the dirty blonde hair, pale skin and sunken stomach, she couldn’t help but wonder what on Earth had pushed the King to go for _her_ out of all the choice he’d been given. She had nothing to offer, didn’t even have the required curves to appeal to men –years of meager meals had unfortunately been the cause of her deplorable condition-, and just looking at herself made her ill. Shivering, and feeling the tips of her fingers going cold, Elsa panicked, knowing that if she didn’t do something, she would lose control, and who knew what would happen to her then, if she was caught having frozen the royal bathrooms?

Not wanting to find out, the blonde walked back to the bathtub, and slowly settled herself into the water, unable to suppress the content sigh as she felt the liquid lap at her skin, as if it were already rubbing away the marks of her past. She stayed there for a few minutes, unmoving, and just content in letting the warm water wash away the dirt and grime that had marked her as a lowly prisoner, ending the years she’d spent as being less than nothing, before she grabbed the bar of soap on the table beside her.

Bringing it to her skin, and rubbing as gently as she could, the effect was immediate, as the layers of filth, sweat and dust were gradually disappearing, leaving the white skin in it’s stead, and Elsa could almost swear the grin plastered on her face as she realized this was the final step she was taking towards letting go of who she used to be was being taken was the biggest grin she’d ever mustered. Rubbing more fervently then, knowing now that this was not only about getting clean but also an attempt to erase what marks were left upon her body, she scrubbed, determined to get rid of whatever she could. It felt good, liberating even, and as she passed to her hair, nails digging into her scalp and trying to restore it to the brilliant blonde it once was, she ducked under the water, hair light as ever as it floated all around her, and for a moment, it was like nothing mattered anymore. She was free, in her own world, where nothing could hurt her and where nothing was expected of her.  
But like any good thing that had happened to her, it didn’t last.

The mere thought of being free immediately reminded Elsa of where she was and what was going to happen to her. She was still a slave, maybe the King hadn’t said as such and maybe his actions demonstrated that he treated her better than a vulgar trader, but that didn’t change the fact that he’d bought her, that she was still an object to be sold and bough, that she had not escaped what she was, and her crumbling happiness sent her heartbeat soaring, suddenly terrified of what would happen to her next.

The water around her was no longer warm, and as she looked down, to her horror, the edge of the tub had started to freeze. _Oh no! Oh no!_ If someone walked in on her now, she would be cast outside for sure, whether she had clothes on or not. Panicking then, Elsa hauled herself out of what had been her small sanctuary, and grabbed one of the towels that had been given to her, shaking still as she realized how close she’d actually come to letting her powers take control. No, she couldn’t allow that to happen, not in the castle, not as long as she was to serve the King and his family, she _couldn’t_ let them control her, knowing all too well how dangerous it would be. What would happen to her if she froze the King, or if she hurt the Queen by mistake? What if she froze the entire castle? They would banish her for sure! She couldn’t bear the thought of it, not after the King had offered her such a warm smile, not after he’d freely given her the first mark of affection she’d been offered in years.  
Toweling herself dry harshly, reminding herself that, no, she couldn’t even afford a little slip, Elsa shook on the bathroom floor, close to hyperventilating but knowing she could not call for help. This was something she had to deal with alone, if she let anyone in on what she was, they might make the King change his mind and sell her off to someone again, someone worse that the trader. No, she didn’t want that to happen, not when the first sparks of a better life seemed to be lighting up again after such a long time. She would have to control herself, she didn’t have a choice.

Once her skin felt relatively dry and the cold in the air seemed to have diminished a little, Elsa let her lungs expand, before grabbing her rags again. Having not been offered anything else by the King (and not having expected anything else either, for that matter), Elsa forced her small body into the clothing again, shuddering at the memories that still clung to the fabric, before folding the towel and putting it on the edge of the bath.

Again catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she saw to her dismay that the bath had not done much to improve her appearance, if anything, it had actually ended up accentuating every problem her body had. The grime being gone left her skin exposed, the white color looking almost sickly and the bones on her shoulders now more visible than ever. Bringing a fist to her mouth, biting her nails anxiously, she started worrying, what if the princess didn’t like her? What if her hair was too pale for her taste? What if she was too skinny for her liking?

Scrunching her eyes closed, Elsa tried to ignore the questions, knowing already that she would find no answer here. The only way she’d ever know was once she met Princess Anna, an encounter she’d felt anxious about when walking alongside the King but one she now feared. Slowly, she moved to the door, hand lingering on the handle, knowing that once she pushed it open, there would be no going back, there would be no second chance for her. But she reminded herself that she had no choice, no matter if she didn’t want any of this or if she’d had dreams of being something else when she’d been a child, this was what she was: a broken, skinny, used little monster, and nothing would change that, her only saving grace would be Anna. And immediately, Elsa laughed at the thought, for how could someone (a princess no less), be content with a shattered creature such as her, how could anybody be content such a thing? Her grip faltered on the handle, at the thought of being rejected, and being sent back to the streets to live a life of misery and begging, for surely, the King would not want such an ugly creature as herself roaming his grand halls and soiling his floors. Pleasing Anna seemed almost an impossible task now, and even when she tried to take a deep breath, Elsa couldn’t control herself.

The handle started to freeze, the white color spreading slowly, and the blonde drew back instantly, shock and frustration bringing tears to her eyes, tears she knew she had to wipe away and try to cover up: a slave did not cry, she’d learnt that lesson already, and didn’t really want to have to go through it again, the pain having been almost too much to bear the first time around. Though she had no say in it, if Anna would want to punish her for crying, Elsa knew she would have to comply, and quietly if she didn’t want to get any worse.

Controlling her breathing as best she could, she stayed there for a few more moments, hands still shaking slightly as they were up against the door of the bathroom and heartbeat slowly coming back to a normal pace –or as normal as she could given her situation. When she felt controlled enough though, Elsa realized she must have been holding up the King, who was probably still waiting for her outside the door. Biting her lip anxiously, hoping she wouldn’t be punished too severely for taking too long, she pushed the door handle down and took the first step out, the first step to her new master’s room and the first step to a possible new chance, though that, she knew not how long it would last, for she was no longer in control of what her life would be form now on.  
It all depended on Anna now.


	3. Happy Birthday, Anna

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna meets Elsa.

Hands shaking still, nervousness all but radiating off her, Elsa closed the door to the bathroom, fingers lingering on the handle as long as possible until it began to freeze, knowing that once she let the metal knob go, she would have but one place to go, and while she’d tried not to dwell on what would happen to her, there was no point in denying it any further. Anna would use her, would do whatever she liked to her, and there was nothing Elsa could say to stop her, nothing at all. As soon as crude images and painful memories resurfaced though, the blonde tried to block them out, tried to think about anything but _that_ , surely Anna couldn’t be as horrible to her as her past masters had been, right? The King had been extremely kind to her so far, surely Anna had to be just like him, hadn’t she? But Elsa almost scoffed, she’d seen too much to be able to assume that everybody could be kind, that not every person had vile motives behind their actions, and that whatever smiles and kind words the princess of Arendelle would say to her, it would all be a lie, for, after all, she’d been bought to be used, and Elsa ought to expect nothing less.

Heaving a sigh, and hoping nobody had seen her do it fearing what she might get as a reprimand, the blonde turned down the corridor, to where the King was waiting for her, a slightly shorter woman next to him, dark brown hair caught back in a simple yet elegant style and wearing and delicate but not too fancy purple dress, no doubt this was the Queen, and as soon as she came to a halt in front of the couple, Elsa payed her respect, knowing it was only formal that she do so.

“Your Majesty, it’s a pleasure to met you.” Bowing down low, knowing this was how she ought to aknowledge those better than her, she kept her eyes solely locked with the ground, not daring to look up until she was given permission, as was expected of her.

“Oh, there’s no need to bow, Elsa,” And the kind smile the Queen offered her was almost disconcerting, why was the couple so nice to her? “My husband’s told me everything about you, and seeing you now, I’m sure Anna will be thrilled with you –Oh! But where are my manners? My name is Iduna, and my husband, you may call Agnarr, there’s no need for formalities, my dear.”

“Let’s not keep her waiting then, shall we?” The King extended an arm towards the door at the end of the corridor, and as the couple took the lead, Elsa followed, heart thundering in her chest as each step brought her closer and closer to her new master, to Anna. She didn’t know whether she wanted to move an inch forward, knowing it would bring the inevitable closer or whether she wanted to just run to the room already, get the meeting over and done with without all this doubt hanging in the air, as questions of whether Anna would be satisfied with her or not haunted each of her steps.

As the royal couple came to a halt in front of a grand door, Iduna turned to her, bending over slightly so as to face her levelly, “Would you mind waiting here for a moment? My husband and I would like to go in there first, we’ll be back to fetch you in a few minutes, is that all right?”

“Of course, My Lady.” Elsa wouldn’t dare refuse. While the Queen wasn’t formally her new Master, refusing her would result in the same as disobeying Anna, something she simply could no longer do. Besides, the Queen had shown herself as welcoming as her husband, there was no reason to displease her already.

“Oh, there’s no need for formality, Elsa, really.” She chuckled lightly, before taking hold of the King’s arm, as he opened the door and lead the couple into the bedroom. Elsa tried to peek inside, get a glimpse of the famed princess, but got no such luck, as the only thing she thought she could make out was the grand golden color of the walls and white and golden furniture scattered along the wall. She barely caught a flash of the shining color before the door closed once again, leaving her alone in the darkened corridor, to her own anxieties and doubts once again.

She hadn’t even realized her freezing hands had started shaking, not until the white color had started to ascend most of her left arm, and at the sight, she panicked. _Not now! Please, not now!_ Having it happen in the bathrooms had been bad enough, and it had only been pure luck that she’d been able to control herself thanks to the relaxing water, here in the corridor with nothing to distract her, getting her powers to diminish wasn’t as easy, as it took her several minutes of pleading with herself and frantic pacing around for them to dull down slightly. They hadn’t disappeared-they never would- but when the air was no longer as cold anymore, Elsa dared to open her eyes and heaved a sigh of relief, as, looking down at her hands, they’d come back to their normal pallor. For a any other person, they might have seen it as sickly but years of having the curse trail along with her had gotten her used to the lividness of her own skin.

Hoping it might somehow soothe her nerves, she took to pacing back and forward, trying to both forget what had just happened and ease the bubble of anxiousness that threatened to overload any minute now. As her bare feet brushed the lush blue carpet beneath her, skin barely coming into contact with the material before it was taking another step forward, Elsa tried to concentrate on the feeling she was experiencing, the warmth of the rich fabric beneath her skin, the feel of it as her foot slightly sunk into the sapphire rug, the softness so different to the bare stone she’d been trailing along on for the past years.

She continued to go up and down, deliberately taking long strides so that she could drag her feet on the lush carpet, until the door opened once again, and her breath almost instantly caught in her throat, when the King poked his head out, looking both left and right before he spotted her, bidding her to come forward. _This was it._

She froze, for an instant, tried to offer them the most neutral face she could muster, and clenched her left fist tightly, nails digging into her skin as she took a step forward, and into the room. The King put a hand on her shoulder as she entered, the Queen coming to her other side, and the two guided her over to the third person in the room, coming to a stop in front of the bed upon which she was sitting.

“Happy birthday, Anna!” The King smiled, taking a step forward to embrace his daughter tightly and swung her around lightly, like one would do with a small child, earning giggles and laughs from the two other women, Anna’s melodic voice however, was the one that Elsa heard above the rest. That was _not_ the kind of voice she’d been used to. Master’s voice was supposed to be firm, strong, sly at times, but not… _this_. This was laughs, this was light, this was… _Impossible_. Yet, she stood straight, as the King settled is daughter down, and Elsa finally got her first glimpse of her new Master, and needless to say, the first thing that crossed her mind was, _it could have been worse._

She’d been expecting a spoiled child, dressed in the finest silk and ordering her servants around, an unforgiving and harsh young woman maybe, like some she’d been offered to for a night, but not this exuberant and –dare she say it?- quite pretty youthful adult.

Anna was a royal, no doubts there, yet she didn’t show it, her simple clothes and the almost childlike grin plastered on her face betraying her outgoing personality. Elsa couldn’t help but be mesmerized at how innocent the other –her Master now, actually seemed, like she had the body of an adult, but inside, there was still a young girl capable of being amazed with the simplest of things (for, in Elsa’s eyes, a slave like her definitely held nothing special).

“She…” But Anna couldn’t find the words, had her father really bought her a slave as exquisite as this one? Truth be told, she hadn’t known what to expect, really, when he and her Mother had sought her out for some urgent business, but whatever ideas she’d had, it had certainly not involved a present as wonderful as this, and the other girl’s good looks were certainly a bonus. “She’s _beautiful_.” She finally breathed, although she didn’t feel like it did justice to the other. “Does she have a name?”

“Well, I thought Elsa would be fitting.” The King said, after a while, “But if you want to call her anything else, feel free.”

“No, Elsa’s perfect!” Anna grinned, as she circled the other girl once more, eyeing her but not daring to touch just yet, content in taking in the sight of her new friend, before turning back to her parents, and all but throwing herself into her Father’s arms. “Thank you, Papa! Thank you so much!” And as the King wheezed slightly, not being able to say anything back, Iduna though it best if she stepped in.  
“Your Father’s told me she doesn’t really know what to expect, but we thought you could teach her whatever you want her to know, is that all right?”

Anna nodded fervently, still grinning as she circled Elsa, unable to tear her eyes away for some odd reason. Sensing her daughter might want to be alone, Agnarr gently took hold of his wife’s arm, and both retreated to the door, the King saying, “We’ll leave you to it, then? Feel free to come down at whatever time suits you the best tomorrow morning, dear.” And with that and a short exchange of “good nights” and “sleep well”, both the King and Queen were gone, leaving Anna and Elsa in the room.

There was an awkward silence then, Elsa not daring to speak. Although she didn’t sense any ill-will or malice from the other, she was still unsure of what to make of her. She’d never had a master like this, she’d never even met such a singularly adult in her life, Anna was really something, and her new master hadn’t even said anything to her yet.

“So,” Anna said after a while, “You’re name is Elsa then, is that all right with you?” Peeking curiously at the other, the princess raised an eyebrow as she stared at her gift’s cheekbones, trailing a finger along the skin, and flinching slightly at how cold it was.

“Yes, Mylady.” The response was automatic, Elsa not knowing any other way to address someone superior to her in every way. Besides, she could not say no, fearing saying so would warrant her expulsion from the castle and Anna’s care, and would leave her to fend for herself, and Elsa knew she’d never be able to survive out there on her own.

“Anna.”

“Wha-?” What kind of an answer was that? Elsa was confused, as she turned to look at the other girl.

“Please, call me Anna.” The brown haired girl almost implored, brow creased but not in anger, actually, it was almost... Apologetic? Could a Master be apologetic?

“B-But, a slave can’t use it’s Master’s name, that means that they’re equals-“ But Anna’s imploring look made whatever Elsa had been about to say stay stuck in her throat, and without even thinking, she found herself nodding slightly. It couldn’t be wrong, could it? Master had asked her to call her Anna, so if Master had asked it, surely it was all right to do so? “All right… _Anna_.”

The name actually rolled of her tongue quite easily, and Elsa almost found herself immediately liking the name. She smiled, as she said it again, earning herself a kind smile from the other.

Nothing was said then, for a while, as Anna went back to observing Elsa, finding it strangely fascinating how she’d become so taken with her new servant only minutes after having acquired her. She continued to do so, the blonde not daring to speak, until her exhausted legs protested the fact of having to constantly keep her upright, and sank into the soft cover than had been set upon her bed. She rolled over, a little, but once she realized that Elsa had not followed her, Anna sat back up, and, patting the empty space beside her, invited the blonde to come sit next to her.

Elsa bit her lip at first, not knowing whether she ought to comply or not. Slaves sat at their Master’s feet, knelt under the tables at meals and forcefully shared beds with them during the night, never was a slave invited to sit next to its Master, especially not in the inviting way Anna had just extended a hand towards her. But refusing the princess would probably not be a wise move, especially so soon after having been offered to her, and so the older girl complied silently, sitting down gently on the bed, not daring to say anything.

Anna couldn’t take her eyes away, couldn’t get enough of the blonde, and after a few moments of them sitting together in companionable silence, her hand started wondering, trailing along the pale arm of the other as if it were a magnet, drawn to the skin color she’d never ever seen before. It might have been sickly, it might even have appeared horrible to others, but Anna found it strangely fascinating, how Elsa was just so different from her, so _different_ from anybody she’d ever met in her life until now. After a few moments of touching the other’s skin, Anna couldn’t resist the urge she felt in her body, and ever so slightly, she inched closer to her servant, who did not move an inch. Actually, Elsa didn’t even dare to look at her, knowing what was to come and mentally trying to prepare herself for it. She didn’t want it, she really didn’t, but once again, refusing Anna was not an option, and so, she tried to relax into the other girl’s touch.

While it sent shivers down her back, Anna’s hand didn’t disgust her, it didn’t make her skin crawl like many people she’d spent the night with. The fingers were warm, feather-light touches sending something almost electric down her spine, and Elsa didn’t know whether she wanted more of the (dare she say it?) affectionate touch or not.

Anna decided for her.

Leaning in, the princess couldn’t help the pull the other was exerting on her body, and ever so slowly, drawing it out for as long as possible, she leaned in, head now resting on Elsa’s shoulder lightly, her right hand following the inexistent curve of her side, coming to a halt on her servant’s thigh –or what was meant to be her thigh. She couldn’t get enough of the white skin, unlike anything she’d ever seen, and dared to brush one of her fingers one the pale flesh.

“You’re so pretty, Elsa.” It was barely a whisper, muffled by the blondes’ hair, and Anna hadn’t even realized she’d said it, but it felt right. It was a compliment, after all, and she felt like the other deserved it, after all, she _was_ pretty, so why not tell her?

Elsa didn’t dare to answer though, even though she knew she ought to thank her Master for the compliment. Besides, it wasn’t true, it _couldn’t_ be true. She was a monster, a skinny little nobody with for only use to bring satisfaction to a royal princess, how could she be pretty? Anna must be delusional, Elsa thought sadly, must have said it in the heat of the moment, and not really thought about it in detail.

“I’ve heard rumors.” Anna was saying, voice almost drooling, and the blonde could swear she could feel the hot breath ghosting on her shoulder, raising goose bumps on her skin as the warmth sent shivers running along her skin, suddenly making her feel very uncomfortable. She knew where this was going, and although she tried not to think about it, there was no way she could say no, if Anna wanted to use her in that way, she could only comply, and just hope that the princess wouldn’t hurt her too badly.

“Is it true?” This she barely heard, and it was only Anna’s lips against her ears that made the question loud enough for her to process it, “Is it true, that you have powers?”

Elsa froze, skin crawling now at the feel of the other girl’s hand upon her flesh. Who would want to touch such a monster? Her eyes closed, trying to deny it, trying to conceal the cold seeping into the tips of her fingers at the mention of it. Her breathing felt heavy, Anna’s body against hers almost burning, suffocating, and another shudder rand down her back, the room suddenly feeling somewhat constricting. But her Master had asked her a question, and leaving it unanswered would warrant her punishment, Elsa knew that already.

“I-I can wield ice, Myla-Anna,” Remembering Anna’s look earlier when she’d asked her to use her name, Elsa thought it better to heed to her demands, even if calling the other by her name and not her title felt wrong, as if she were putting herself on an equal line with her, “But not very well.” She added after a moment, knowing that it was a vast understatement of her total inability to control her curse all together.

“Nobody trained you?” Anna raised an eyebrow, curious now. Wielding powers wasn’t something she saw as problematic, actually, it must be great! Elsa could make an ice rink when she wanted, maybe even build a snowman in the middle of summer! That was awesome, why was Elsa so afraid of mentioning her powers? There wasn’t anything to fear, after all. _Well,_ Anna thought after a while, _I could always help her if she wants it, but not yet._

Seeing that the subject obviously distressed Elsa, Anna thought it better to go for something else, and as her had found the other’s hip, and she started stroking it gently, something else indeed did cross her mind.

“Have you ever, you know, slept with anyone else?” Her hand tightened slightly, gripping the blonde’s hip just that bit more tightly, as Anna found herself almost fearing the answer. She didn’t want to hear yes, she didn’t want to know that Elsa had slept with other people, Elsa was _hers_ , and nobody else’s.

“Yes, Anna.” Elsa managed to breathe out, wishing she hadn’t had to relieve the scarring memories, but they resurfaced, unbidden and unasked for. She wouldn’t blame Anna though, it wasn’t her fault, she couldn’t have known.

“Tell me.” It was almost urgent, Anna needing to know what had happened yet not wanting to know either. Trailing her hand up, she rested it on Elsa’s shoulder, letting it wander down ever so slightly as she waited for an answer, biting her lip to contain her anxiousness.

“It was a punishment, what I was good for.”

The hand that had previously been trailing down the sides of her body stilled for an instant before retracting themselves of their own accord, and Elsa bowed her head in shame, Anna wouldn’t want her at all now. After all, who would want a soiled bed warmer? But as soon as she thought of herself, she chastised her lack of tact. She wasn’t here for herself, she was here for Anna! And she’d just upset her.

  
Turning around, heartbeat soaring once again at the thought of having disappointed her new Master, she immediately tried to fix it, before the brunette decide it was best to throw her out. She was Anna’s now, and Anna’s happiness and well being was what was important, not hers.

“Please! I’m sorry Master! I-I didn’t mean to sop you! You can-“ But a hand on her lips silenced her, and almost hesitantly, Elsa looked up, peering into the deep blue orbs and wanting to lose herself in them, right then and there, anything would be better than having to come up with an explanation for her lack of obedience.

“It’s all right, Elsa, it’s all right, really If anything, I should be the one to apologize,” Anna smiled sheepishly, cursing herself for her lack of tact. If anything, she ought to have been the one to ask Elsa if she wanted this, not force it on her. Her touch had obviously made the other feel uneasy, seen as how she’d flinched away, and although Anna didn’t want to think about the possible reasoning behind _why_ Elsa was so afraid of her showing her affection, she also wanted to try and make things better. If this was to sudden for the other, then she would have to take things slowly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.” She added after a moment, wanting to get the other girl to trust her, which she definitely wasn’t going to get if she acted on her impulses instead of considering about how Elsa might react to it first.

“N-No, Mas-Anna, I can… If you want, really-“ She was bordering hysteria now, and the old feeling in her hands did not help matters at all. Shaking her head still, and backing away to the side of the bed, Elsa tried to get herself under control, knowing she definitely couldn’t let Anna get hurt because of her inability to master her own powers.

“Elsa!” Anna didn’t mean to say the name so sharply, but it was the only way she could think of getting the other to look at her and possibly come down of her hysterical state. “Elsa, please, calm down.”

She put both hands on Elsa’s forearms, almost flinching away at how cold they actually were, but held on, knowing pushing the other away would only distress her more. “That’s it,” She encouraged, nodding, “Deep breaths, yes, that’s good.”

Elsa gradually calmed down, and the room was quiet once again as the cold slowly disappeared.

“Myabe it would be best if we turned in for the night, what do you think?” Anna asked, trying to reassure the other that she wouldn’t be punished for this. It had been an accident, and if Anna were honest with herself, it had been her fault, because the brunet hadn’t been able to control her excitement. Elsa was going to be here for a while (a long while, Anna hoped), anyway, so she knew they’d have the whole day tomorrow to talk and get to know each other better. She was tired, and Elsa looked as if she could use a good night’s sleep anyway, maybe turning in wasn’t such a bad idea.

Removing her now stuffy dress, not really caring whether there was another person in the room (after all, they were both girls and both had the same shaped under their clothes, what was there to hide?), Anna slipped into her nightdress, and headed back to the bed, drawing back the covers and slipping in.

She’d been about to blow out the candle on her bedside locker when she noticed Elsa still standing in the middle of the room, probably a little lost at what to do.

“Come here.” She invited her over, drawing back the bedcovers so that she could slip in next to her. Elsa hesitated for a moment, however. She wanted the warmth of the bed, even if she was about to soil it with her rags, and while the thought of sharing it with Anna wasn’t as repulsive as she’d made it up to be, she couldn’t help but be apprehensive. She didn’t want to have Anna’s hands trace her scarred body, she didn’t want to have more things done to her while she could not say anything, she didn’t want to turn into another bed slave, but the warmth of the covers, the softness of the sheets and Anna’s smile were all so inviting, so promising that she didn’t even stop her legs brining her over, and before she even knew it, Elsa had settled down next to Anna, and now found herself anxiously waiting for the other’s touch, knowing it was going to come, and that this time, nothing was going to push it back.

She’d closed her eyes, not wanting to have to look back into Anna’s face as she used her, not wanting to see the other’s kind smile deform itself into a cruel snarl as she would let her body’s impulses take over, and she waited. And waited. And waited. But no hand ever brushed her skin, no lips ever met hers. Tentatively, Elsa opened an eye, only to see Anna turning out the small lamp on her bedside table, before turning back to her.

“Sleep well, Elsa.” And with that, silence.

Soon, she could hear Anna’s soft breathing and slight snores, as her body rose and fell in rhythm with her breathing. Elsa found herself staring, wondering why Anna was doing this to her. Was it a game? Would she wake up in the middle of the night demanding her to give her body’s urges satisfaction? The hand brushing against her arm made her flinch back instinctively, skin crawling at the memories of sharing a bed with more rougher strangers, and Elsa found herself backing away, but not from fearing Anna.

She didn’t understand, why would Anna not use her? Was she really that horrible? Elsa scoffed after a moment, of course she was? Why would any princess want to use a monster as a bedslave, she wasn’t even deserving of that use. Shaking slightly, and knowing that if she remained in the bed, she might end up hurting Anna, Elsa slipped out from under the sheets quietly, and looked around the room for a suitable place to sleep, the corner ending up being the only choice. Settling down, and drawing her knees up to her chest, she tried to ease the freezing feeling in her hands, knowing that had she stayed by Anna’s side, she would only have risked hurting her. Sighing, and eyelids closing of their own accord, Elsa rested her head in her arms, rocking herself to sleep as she tried to make sense of the elusive Anna, who still remained a total mystery to her.


	4. Breakfast And Apologies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna apologizes for her slightly too touchy movements as she and Elsa share breakfast together.

The sunrays peering through the window and the warmth on her cheek was what eventually got Anna to open her eyes. A little groggily, she yawned, not forgetting to cover her mouth, as was decent, before rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. As the blur slowly ebbed away, something didn’t feel quite right. It took her a few moments to actually put a finger on it, but when she saw the empty space in the bed beside her, the piece clicked into place.

Elsa wasn’t there.

“Elsa?”

A little disconcerted when no reply came, Anna drew back the covers, and gently slipped out of the bed, before heading to the window and drawing back the grand curtains a little, to let more light into the room. As shapes then began to form and become more defined, she spun around, until her eyes finally managed to spot the blonde, curled up in the corner between the wall and one of her chest of drawers. Anna bit her lip, knowing she must have done something to push the other away, and immediately trying to figure out what.

She hadn’t hurt her, hadn’t raised a hand even, so it couldn’t have been that. She couldn’t recall asking the other to do anything she might not have wanted either, so that was also ruled out. So what could possibly-? And then it hit her, like a ton of bricks, and Anna cursed herself for her lack of tact: the touching, of course, it must have been the touching! She hadn’t thought the other would be so distraught by it, she hadn’t realized Elsa didn’t like it, and thinking about it now, she felt a little guilty. Of course, being her Master, it was in her right to ask what she wanted of her servant, but Anna didn’t want to be perceived as cruel or abusing her title.

Biting her lip, she gently made her way over to the other girl, kneeling down and almost putting a hand on her folded arms but stopped herself at the last moment. Being a little curious, Anna stared, entranced at how the small rays of sunshine pouring through her window made Elsa’s hair almost glow and not daring to turn away, less the magic suddenly stop.

She didn’t understand, why was Elsa affecting her so? She’d only met her yesterday, didn’t even know a thing about the other girl’s life, and yet, something she couldn’t explain was drawing her to the blonde, something much bigger than just protectiveness, she could feel it, yet knew not what exactly it was. She cared for Elsa, she wanted to help her (and it was now her duty to make sure nothing bad happened to her, as her new Master), but if Elsa didn’t let her in, didn’t size the offer she was giving to her, Anna thought there was little more she could do.

Gently, almost fearing that touching Elsa might make the other’s skin crumble beneath her fingers, Anna out a hand on the other’s shoulder, her nose wrinkling slightly as it came into contact with the tattered remains of whatever rags Elsa had been given prior to being bought. Anna would really have to find her something better to wear, nobody deserved to live in such attire.

“Elsa?” She asked again, hand curling around the blonde’s arm ever so slightly.

The sound seemed vague, as if it were far, far away from her, and Elsa tried blocking it out, knowing that sleep and rest were the only places in which she could find solace, escape what she was for a few hours. In that short time, she could imagine herself surrounded by a loving family, spending time like any other girl her age would, maybe even come home with a crush from time to time, just… well, live the life of the girl she’d always dreamed of having, simple but wonderful at the same time.

She could see herself, coming home every evening, a basket of groceries in one arm, both parents waiting for her at the door of the house, a smile on their faces and the wonderful smell of warm soup cooking in the background. She could see it all, how they could hug her, Mother inviting her into the house with an arm on her shoulder and Father immediately ushering them into the kitchen where the small family would share time together, talk about their day and joke and laugh around a warm meal.

The wooden spoon would feel special in her hand, Elsa knowing it was hers, something she owned and was hers alone. She would dip it into the steaming liquid, bringing it back to her mouth and inhale the sweet scent before tasting the meal.

She tried to imagine what tasting such a meal would be like, for it had been a long time since she’d eaten anything remotely decent. She tried clinging to the wistful dreams of a young girl, but as she suddenly became aware that this was just a dream, the soup turned to ash in her mouth, the soft hand her Mother had on her arm morphed into a bruising grip and the smiles sifted to snarls and vicious taunts.

“Elsa, dear,” went to _“You!”_ or _“Thing!”_ And she tried to shake it off, tried to cling to the images of a warm house and loving people, but the spoon went clattering to the floor, the warm bowl now a stale piece of bread thrown at her feet. She shook he head, maybe even inched back a little, and flinched when she felt a hand brush against her arm.

“No!”

Cozy cottages and dank cells disappeared, as Elsa’s eyes shot open, the same red wallpaper in front of her and the same carpet floor beneath. It wasn’t much, but the tiny bit of familiarity helped a little, that was, until she felt the wall behind her. As soon as she felt the solid mass in her back, she knew she was trapped, no way out and nowhere to hide. Panic was inevitable.

She could feel it already, the cold starting at the tips of her fingers, slowly working it’s way back, and as soon as she felt it, Elsa knew she was in for a terrible time.

“Please, I didn’t mea-!”

“Elsa!” Anna didn’t know what to do, she didn’t want to scare her more, but she had to get her to calm down –And why was it suddenly so cold? “Elsa please, you have to calm down.” The hand on the blonde’s shoulder tightened a little more, hoping it would be enough to let her know she was not a lone and that she had nothing to fear. It wasn’t.

Anna’s heart clenched as Elsa curled into herself, making herself as small as possible and shying away from any touch she dared to do. What should she do? She couldn’t leave Elsa to deal with whatever she was going through alone, she was obviously scared, but there wasn’t much she could do. The strawberry blonde tried to call out to her servant again, tried to get somewhat of a response, but the older girl had long since turned deaf to her pleading, now the slight tremors turning into trembling beneath her fingers.

Should she call her parents? Yes! They would surely know what to do, right? Father and Mother had always known how to help her when she was scared or when she’d came running to their beds because of monsters beneath her own when she’d been a child, they would be able to help, right?

But they wouldn’t be able to help Elsa, would they? They were her own parents, not Elsa’s.

The room had now gone cold, and ad Anna squinted, she might have seen the corners starting to turn white, but as it was, she was looking for something else. Knowing her parents would be able to do little to comfort her servant, Anna opted to do it herself, as was expected of her. Scurrying over to her bed and grabbing the first blanket she could get a hold of, she knelt down in front of Elsa again, draping the warm fabric on the blondes’ shoulders.

“It’s all right, Elsa, please don’t be scared.”

But Elsa still couldn’t hear her, mutters of “I’m sorry” and “Please, stop” being the only things Anna could hear. If Elsa was deaf to her words, it didn’t give her much of a choice, and after a moment of hesitation, hoping Elsa wouldn’t leap out of her skin if she did so, she leaned forward, bringing the other into what she hoped to be a reassuring hug and started rubbing circles on her back, trying to concentrate on calming Elsa down and put aside the fact that she was _freezing_.

“It’s all right, there’s no need to panic.” She tried to suppress the waver in her own voice, knowing Mother used to talk gently to her when she used to be scared at night, gentle tone leaving no room for hesitation. They stayed like that, Anna stroking Elsa’s back, whispering nonsense into her ear, until the initial panic finally seemed to have ebbed away.

“I’m sorry for not offering you better clothes.” Anna said after a while. She knew it wasn’t the best way to begin a conversation, but she wanted to let Elsa know that she was sorry, and that her servant had nothing to fear.

“I-It’s okay, I guess.” Elsa shrugged slightly, not knowing what she ought to answer to that. That Anna was apologizing for not seeing to something to improve the condition of a lowly servant was already much more than she could ever have expected, there was no need to make the princess feel guiltier when she shouldn’t have to be. Besides, Elsa had gotten accustomed to such an attire anyway, clothes were a luxury she was rarely offered, and when she had been given a new means to cover her body, it was rarely in good condition to begin with.

“No.” Anna said, as she rose back up, “No, it’s not. You shouldn’t have to go around in… _that_.” That was really the best way she could describe the tattered remains of whatever Elsa’s dress once was, and it was already high time she offer the other girl a new one. Heading over to the wardrobe in the corner of the room, she fumbled through whatever she had hanging in there, hoping she just might find something that would fit the slightly taller girl, but nothing seemed to do the trick, the orange and green dresses all looking too large to fit on the blonde’s thin frame.

Biting her lip anxiously, knowing that now that she’d said she’d give her new clothes, she had to find something, Anna fumbled a little more desperately, until her fingers fell upon some dark purple fabric. Curious now, for she never really recalled wearing much of the color, she lifted the item out, and her face lit up.

“Here, you can have this one!” She said excitedly, as she sauntered back to Elsa, handing her the dress she no longer wore. It was simple enough, probably among the cheapest she had there (and Anna felt a little guilty at giving her such a low-class clothing), but it would fit. “You can take it.” She added, putting the dress in Elsa’s hands when the other didn’t dare to touch it.

“For me? Really?” It took her a moment to actually process the fact that Anna was offering her _clothes_ , something she’d not had in ages, and she almost thought of refusing it, knowing she would only soil such a beautiful thing were she to put it on, but Anna’s excited smile made her reconsider, Elsa not really wanting to contradict what her new master asked of her. Surely if the princess was giving her this, it meant that she wanted her to have it, right? There wouldn’t be any problem if she took it, would there?

“Of course!” Anna nodded, “But if it’s too big, I can always ask Mother to bring the tailor in, so we can get new clothes made for you –Here, let me open the buttons on the back.” She offered, gentle hands prying the dress back to undo the binds in the back of it, Elsa’s eyes never leaving the purple item.

She watched, as Anna’s nimble fingers, obviously used to touching such rich material on a daily basis, worked down, one button opening after another, until the fabric opened up, and was held in front of her once again.

“If you want, I could-“ Anna thrust the dress back into her arms, before turning away, trying to both hide the blush on her face at the awkward statement and give Elsa some amount of privacy. “Just… Well you can tell me when you’re ready, alright?”

Elsa nodded, not realizing that Anna couldn’t see, but she was mesmerized by the purple dress, as she ran her fingers along the sides of it, the soft texture unlike anything she’d never ever touched before. After kneeling down to gently put it on the floor, she awkwardly shook the rags off her shoulders, the tattered fabric slowly peeling off her skin and eventually pooling at her feet below her –she was at last free of the horrid attire.

Gently, and wanting to make the moment last as long as possible, she slipped one leg in and then the other, before bending slightly to pull up the rest of the fabric. It felt so different, new, light, when compared to what she’d been walking around in for the past years, and the smile that slowly crept on her face came of its own accord. Maybe it was too much wealth for a servant to wear, but if Anna wanted her to have the dress, Elsa wouldn’t refuse. Again, she smoothed out the bottom, running her fingers along the purple cloth to even it out, and get another look at Anna’s gift. It truly was pretty.

“Thank you,” It was barely above a whisper, but all the emotion was there, Anna could hear it and smiled to herself at Elsa’s obvious gratitude, “Thank you so much.”

“Can I turn around now?”

“Of course.”

“It fits you nicely.” Anna commented, glad that she’d finally seemed gotten something right, “We’ll go together, to get you new ones soon though, I promise.”

“Oh! No you don’t have to-“ Really, this was the best she’d been offered in years, even if it had already been worn and seen better days, Elsa really appreciated the token, she didn’t want to have to make Anna order someone to work on clothes especially for a servant when she could use perfectly decent things that the princess didn’t want anymore.

“Please, I insist, it won’t hurt anybody.” Anna chuckled, wanting to ease the atmosphere a little. “Are you hungry?” She asked after an awkward silence, hoping Elsa just might have initiated a conversation by herself, it was not as if Anna would forbid her that.

“Um… A little?” Elsa really didn’t want to appear overbearing and asking for one thing after another, Anna being so kind to her was already more than she could have hoped for, but she couldn’t deny the occasional rumble her stomach would give her, reminding her that it was in need of a meal.

“Right then…” Anna nodded, wincing as she hadn’t thought of it sooner, showing Elsa out the bedroom door and mentally noting that she’d have to be careful to give the blonde decent meals for the next while if she was to regain what one would call a healthy body, for the blonde was far too skinny for Anna’s liking. Well that made two things she’d need to see to then, food and new clothes.

“This way.” She waved, smiling as Elsa dared to join her, not trail behind her. It might not have been what was expected of a servant, but honestly, Anna didn’t mind, she’d rather have the company next to her than knowing a pair of eyes was boring a hole into her from behind.

The dining room’s grand doors were unlike anything she’d ever seen before, and Elsa would have spent minutes staring open-mouthed at the purple and golden designs had Anna not chuckled. It wasn’t mean, Elsa didn’t sense the slightest hint of malice behind the princess’s amusement, and blushed slightly as she realized what she’d been doing.

“Sorry if I made you wait, it’s just so… _different_ in here.” It was hard to explain, but any step she’d take in the castle would leave her gob smacked, and Elsa knew she could have already stopped several times on their way here just to examine the designs on the carpeted floors or take a moment to admire each portrait strung up on the endless halls, it truly was amazing.

“It’s all right, we’ll have lots of time-“ But the door opening cut her off mid sentence as both her parents exited the room, obviously having just finished their own breakfast and about to see to the day’s duties. Elsa tensed, not really knowing why, knowing she couldn’t recall having anything to fear from the King and Queen, but thought it best to take a few steps back and stare at the floor, as she dared not meet their gazes directly yet.

“Anna!” Agnarr exclaimed, a little surprised to see his daughter up so early, knowing Anna had a certain fondness with her bed that had never ebbed away, “I trust last night went all right?” He inquired, hoping the servant girl had indeed been the right choice of present to offer her.

“Oh, yes! Really! Me and Elsa were about to have breakfast, is there anything left?”

“Of course, Anna,” The Queen smiled sweetly, “I hope my daughter hasn’t exhausted you out too much already, I know she can be quite… overexcited sometimes.” She added, turning to Elsa, fondness of her daughter evident on her face.

“Oh no, M-Mylady,” Elsa inwardly cursed her stuttering, knowing she had no need to be really anxious yet the feeling came of it’s own accord. The King and Queen had both been extremely nice towards her (well, they’d treated her much better than an ordinary monarch would probably treat a common slave), and while Elsa knew Anna’s mother had no obligation to remain so civil with her, she really appreciated the kindness. “Princess Anna has been treating me very kindly so far.” The blonde didn’t dare to look either the King or Queen in the eye however, knowing a slave had no right to do so.

“Well, that’s a relief to hear,” The King laughed, linking his arm with his wife’s and making Elsa look up, “But if you’ll excuse us, my wife and I have some important business to attend to. Anna, I’ll leave you to it then?”

“Come on in.” Anna ushered her gently into the room, the long tale still set, chairs richly decorated and silver cutlery adorning the table. As Anna disappeared off with two plates, Elsa neared the wooden furniture, daring to let a hand trail along the red napkin set on top of it, before looking around. What was Anna expecting her to do? Would she want her to fetch her meal once she came back? Was she expecting her to fetch it now and serve it to her on one of the silver plates she could see on a table in the corner of the room?

Not too sure what to do, Elsa did what she’d always known to do at meal times, she lowered herself onto the floor, next to the chair at the head of the table where Anna would probably sit, and waited, hoping Anna just might spare her a few leftovers from her own breakfast if she felt like feeding her. It was what her previous Master had done, had taught how the only food a slave could be fed would be from the hand of it’s Master and none other, for a slave was too dirty to be fed by any other and wasn’t deemed worthy enough to eat by itself. It wasn’t as if Elsa minded anymore, she’d grown used to it over time, and soon the humiliation had turned into a habit, so why would Anna be any different?

Anna pushed open the door to the dining room with her shoulder, awkwardly trying to balance the breakfast dish and cutlery she’d been given by the cook in her arms as she made her way over to the table. Stumbling slightly more than once, it was a relief when the dish finally touched the wood and would not be falling down any further, and Anna set about to place the two plates and forks when she noticed Elsa had once again seemingly disappeared. It seemed to be something the blonde liked to do, apparently.

“Elsa?”

“Yes?”

Anna looked around, still not finding her servant, until she approached the table, where Elsa had knelt down next to her chair, patiently waiting for her to return.

“What are you doing down there?” Anna asked, puzzled, people ate at the table, not on the floor, or at least, it had been what she’d learnt. “Don’t you want a chair? It would be more comfortable, I think.” She added, pulling a chair next to her one out and inviting Elsa over.

“But, it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to sit at Master’s table, Mylady.” Elsa hesitated, knowing that a question asked by her master should be answered, but fearing what Anna might do to her. The princess had been kind, had smiled and been gentle with her, but appearances could always been deceiving, what if she lost her temper? Elsa didn’t want to risk it, especially if her powers unexpectedly kicked in and she ended up hurting her Master, nothing good would happen then.

“Nonsense!” Anna laughed, gesturing to the chair she’d pulled out for Elsa, “Here, you can sit if you want, it will probably be more comfortable than the floor.”

It had come from her Master this time, and refusing a request from the person who owned her would probably be seen as insubordination. A little hesitantly, Elsa rose up from the floor and ever so slowly made her way to the chair, still not believing that she was actually being offered the privilege of eating at a table. She looked down, only now seeing the intricate designs going around the plates and noticing that the cutlery set aside it was silver. Was she to touch that? Soil something so expensive for the sake of one meal?

The fear of doing something that might displease the princess eventually won over, and gently, Elsa sat down on the chair carefully, afraid it might give away or crumble –chairs were a luxury too, she hadn’t had a meal at a table in years. Neither were a plate and the cutlery to go along with it, as the blonde tentatively extended a hand to grasp the fork that had been put next to the plate. It felt odd feeling one again, especially one made out of pure silver, when she’d only ever known wooden ones. Elsa clutched it just a little tighter, to make sure it wouldn’t risk falling and maybe getting damaged were it to hit the floor, who knew what might happen then?

The room had gone quiet once again, Elsa only noticing it when she’d been about to lift one of the slices of toast on her plate to her mouth, but she stopped short of doing so after realizing that Anna hadn’t started eating herself yet. A slave could never eat before it’s Master, it was a common rule, and berating herself for her negligence, Elsa set the bread down, waiting for Anna to start, or at least give her the permission to start eating.

Anna noticed her servant’s hesitance to dig in, and tried to encourage her to at least eat something, after all, she couldn’t let the poor servant starve herself, could she? What kind of Master would do that? “Aren’t you hungry?”

But Elsa wouldn’t meet her gaze, instead her eyes remained fixed on the table, as she tried to count the slices of bread on the silver plate, maybe even tried to make out the designs on the ornate dish, anything that wouldn’t make her have eye-contact with Anna. Who knew what would happen were she to meet Master’s gaze directly? If anything her previous owner had taught her, it was to serve dinner and then quietly wait for orders, silently and head bowed, not share a table with them, let alone initiate any kind of conversation. What was she to do? What if Anna was just testing her? While Elsa wanted to believe the princess had her best interests at heart, there was no way she could be absolutely certain that the royal’s good will towards her would hold out, that tiny flame of faith would eventually go out, and the last threads of hope she’d clung to would disappear along with it, there was no point in trying to fool herself now. Anna was probably just trying to lure her in, give her a false feeling of confidence, let her trust her and then destroy that trust and break her even more. The mere thought of extending a hand out to the plate in front of her now sent a wave of nausea through her body, it was definitely not worth the punishment, no matter how hungry she got.

“Here.” A little confused, at first, it slowly dawned on Anna that, for whatever reason, Elsa would not dare fill her plate, let alone reach out for a mere slice of bread, and the realization that the blonde was probably expecting some kind of punishment were she to do something so simple as feed herself made Anna’s heart ache. If Elsa’s fears went that deep, the older girl was far from all right, and it was going to take the princess a long time to help her and get her to abide to the notion that, no, not everyone out there was waiting to hurt you.

“It’s all right, you can eat.” She nodded, trying to smile, even though it was a little crooked. First things first, if she could get Elsa to trust her eventually, she had to show the other girl that she truly had no intentions of hurting her.

The smell of the warm toast and the butter quickly melting on top of it almost made her stomach rumble, and Elsa tried hard to make the sound as quiet as possible. She wanted to be able to reach out for it and take the food with no hesitation, she wanted to be able to share that bond with Anna, a bond she hadn’t shared with anybody in a long time, but she just couldn’t bring herself to openly embrace it, not yet, not when past promises and soothing lies from countless others still plagued her and had cemented her belief that no one could fully be trusted, especially by a monster like her.

But Anna’s earnest eyes, and the slight nod she gave to the plate, almost as if she was encouraging her to grab a piece of their breakfast, she’d never seen that. Nobody had ever had time to spare for the freak with powers, let alone sit and chat with her over a decent and most appetizing looking meal. She wanted to refuse, that little seed of fear that the princess might still turn on her and show her true colors still lingering, but as the salted smell drifted into her nose and she thought she could feel the warmth of the bread next to her hand, Elsa broke, and slowly took the piece up to her mouth.  
She didn’t know what to feel as she finally tasted it, for that small bite was undoubtedly the best she’d had in, well, a long time. She chewed on the small piece, making sure to get every ounce of flavor as she could, knowing that tomorrow could bring her something totally unexpected and wanting to make the most of what she was offered right now. Of course, looking down to the plate and realizing she had more than a mere bite for a meal spurred her on to take another one, and soon, she found herself wolfing down breakfast, under Anna’s amused gaze, but right now, the royal’s stare was of little concern.

“I take you like it, then?”

“Oh yes, Master!”

While Anna was delighted that Elsa gave an automatic response, and did not hesitate when speaking up, the fact that she referred to her with the title of Master made her cringe. Technically, her servant was right to call her so, after all, Elsa was her property, but the princess really wasn’t one for formalities, she already had enough of that when visiting dignitaries kept addressing her as “Princess” or “Your Highness”. Of course, they weren’t wrong to use such titles, but she had a name! And Anna would much rather be addressed with it in private than being trailed around with more “Princess” or “Sire” when there was no need to. Besides, she didn’t really want Elsa to view herself as someone inferior. Maybe she oughtn’t to see herself as someone of royalty, even if she was now sharing a home with them, but the girl could at least be less formal, Anna thought, that would be another lesson she’d have to teach her, there was no need for the word _Master_ at all here.

“Anna.”

Elsa looked up, afraid now that she’d said something wrong –which, unfortunately, had happened to her quite often over the past years. She hadn’t meant to offend princess Anna, she really hadn’t, but seeing the drawing lines on the other’s face, there was definitely something she’d said that had unsettled her.

“Ma-?”

“Anna. Please, Elsa, please call me Anna.” And Elsa wouldn’t have believed her if it weren’t for the pain she could visibly see written across the other’s face, Master must truly be a title she did not like then. But, wouldn’t calling someone by their name mean that she was their equal? No, no, no, Anna was leagues away from her, surely she couldn’t be seen addressing the princess of Arendelle so familiarly? She’d been about to say no, that she couldn’t for fear of what other people might say, but when she saw, truly saw, the pinched lines around Anna’s blue eyes and the all but pleading expression, she couldn’t help but abide to her wish. It was wrong, so wrong for a slave to address it’s Master as it’s equal, but if it was what Anna wanted, then surely it was all right to do so, wasn’t it?

“A-All right, I guess I-I’l try… _Anna_.” And a name that should never have really gotten past her lips did, and it felt almost good? Elsa liked the way saying the name sounded almost as easy as Anna’s outgoing personality, as if it reflected her, and the thought made her smile. Well, she thought as she brought another piece of bread to her mouth, if it pleased the princess, it was all that mattered.

“Nevermind, it’s all right.” Anna tried to brush it off, not wanting to make Elsa worry over anything else, the blonde probably had enough on her plate already. “How about we go out and see if we can’t find you some new clothes?” She suggested, knowing the ones she’d lent the blonde were floating on her thin frame. If she wanted Elsa to be comfortable working for her, she needed to see to it herself, and something fitting would definitely be a good place to start.


	5. Downtown Arendelle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna brings Elsa down town, and the two stop for chocolate cake at Kristoff's bakery.

Over the past years, Elsa could say that she had seen many a town, often varying from the modest villages to wealthy ports and filthy holes lost in the middle of nowhere. To be honest, she thought she’d seen everything by now. Anna had just proven her wrong however when she’d brought her into town that morning. While the slaver might have brought her along some of the lanes one could take in the city of Arendelle, she hadn’t been able to stop and take the time to truly appreciate the city in itself, something she was immensely grateful towards Anna for letting her do.

The streets weren’t dirty, there was no claustrophobic feel to them, as walking became as easy as breathing, and she was not reduced to have to push one unfortunate drunk stranger to collide with another one reeking of sweat and grime. It may not seem like much for one accustomed to a daily life here, but for her, it meant a lot, notably the freedom to be able to move and actually almost feel slightly relaxed as she followed Anna, trying to keep up with the younger girl’s unrelenting pace (how could she always be so full of energy? Elsa found herself thinking).

_Anna._

Anna was still a complete mystery to her, to be honest. Well, she hadn’t exactly spent much time with her yet, but still, Elsa had always been able to read people, it had been one of the only comforts she’d had back when she’d be going from one Master to another, it had been one of the only ways she’d managed to minimize harsh orders and brute strength from men and snide comments from women. Pleasing Masters without a second thought had been something she’d gradually understood to be essential in a life such as hers, she couldn’t afford to try to know the person better, and she’d had to rely on perception to be able to read and predict their demands in order to be an efficient purchase, for slaves who were either too slow or incapable of taking on the tasks asked of them were rarely kept for long. It might not have been much of an asset, but Elsa was still here, in one piece, damaged and cracked maybe, but not completely shattered beyond repair. However, if she wanted to stay whole as long as possible, she knew she’d have to be able to read the princess to be able to satisfy her and not risk being sold again, which meant that the sooner she’d be able to grasp what type of person Anna was, the easier it would be for her to prove herself as an efficient servant.

Of course, like most things, it was easier said than done, because while the princess had shown some part of herself, there was undoubtedly more to her that Elsa hadn’t been able to read yet.  
If she went back to the beginning, the first impression the royal girl had given her was that of an excited youngster, who often spoke and acted before thinking and considering the possible consequences, and something about it was strangely fascinating. As the next in line to the throne, the blonde would have expected her to be serious, strict, and to be fair, not interested in a lowly slave in the slightest, but Anna had actually gone out of her way to make her feel welcome, which she dearly appreciated. From what she’d been able to gather, she was also a little younger than herself, meaning the princess still had a lot to learn and that she could not expect anything that she’d already known, for any Master she’d had prior to yesterday had always been older than herself.

She wasn’t too sure what to make of it at first, especially when Anna had seemed to let her impulses get the better of her, but thankfully she had not attempted anything, which is a lot more than she could say about certain unsavory strangers she’d had the unfortunate chance of meeting over the past years. Elsa didn’t like anything out of the ordinary, she’d learnt that attempting anything uncommon with the powers she possessed generally ended up with painful consequences for her and had thus tried to keep it hidden, but Anna was something else. She was anything but ordinary, and realizing it did not bring that freezing knot of fear tightening in her gut, it did not make cold sweat break on the back of her neck, it did not make her hands shake, it made her smile. A smile hadn’t been something she’d had the luxury of expressing in a long time, and now, after a few days only, it was coming back.

Hopefully, Anna would be someone she could trust eventually. Elsa wanted to, she really wanted –no, _needed_ \- someone she could rely on, even if it was for little nothings, and Anna was shaping herself to become that person, and while the blonde really wished she could spill any of her secrets out to her now, life had taught her that no matter how nice people could appear, never underestimate them. She’d made that mistake already, and paid for it dearly, and no matter how kind the princess was to her, that instinct was still there, and only time would tell if the brunette would be someone she could eventually go to for comfort any time she’d need to.

At least, Anna didn’t rely on fear to be her Master, not like the many people she’d already had the misfortune of working for.

As a matter of fact, fear was something that seemed to be entirely absent of Arendelle itself. Fear was a feeling she was familiar with, a stranger didn’t have to show his face for Elsa to get the warning shivers running down her spine and the freezing feeling blooming in the tips of her fingers. She’d been subjected to fear, she knew what fear tasted like, she knew how to recognize it, had seen it in countless towns and cities she’d been through, but here, right now, despite looking for a trace of it, she could not find it anywhere.

With eyes used to take in any small detail offered to her, she looked around, seeing the happy families, children laughing and running after one another, couples strolling along or sharing a tender moment together, some wearing the simplest dresses, and others dressed up in some of the finest silks she’d ever seen. Those caught her attention, as, looking at them more closely, Elsa could make out the golden rings adorning the women’s fingers and the silver chains on the men’s necks, discreet, but still there. And if she looked even more closely, she could see what anyone else would think a commoner, following them, only a few paces behind, as if he were there of his own accord, but she knew better. The clothes on the man’s back were just that little bit less shiny, missing the small details the couple in front of him had, and while the man smiled to the young children who waved to him as they passed him by, Elsa could see eyes that spoke more than words ever could. Like her, the man was a slave. He didn’t look unhappy, if his slumped shoulders and genuine beam were to be believed, but there was something in his eyes that was there for everyone to read, a history much like her own, a history he must share with probably countless other people here then, she thought. The royal family weren’t the only ones to own slaves, it seemed.

She could relate to him, to a point, she too had been though hard times, but now, both of them could smile freely, without having to look around first to be sure that they wouldn’t get caught expressing their own feelings. They may not be completely free, but serving a free citizen of Arendelle certainly seemed to offer them tiny chips of that unattainable dream, chips they knew they were happy with, for it was more good that had happened to then in probably a long while.

“Elsa?”

Shaking her head slightly, coming out of whatever daze she’d been in, Elsa looked back at Anna, who seemed to be giving her a quizzical stare. It was only after she realized the slight pain in her nose that she came to the conclusion that she must have bumped into the princess without even realizing it.

“Sorry, Mylady, I didn’t mean-“ She knew Anna had asked her to address her by her name, and Elsa liked calling the princess by her name, but they were out in town now, surrounded by a crown of strangers, certainly she couldn’t be seen addressing royalty so familiarly, right?

“It’s all right, Elsa,” Anna said gently, putting a soft hand on her shoulder without making her flinch, “I was saying, that you might like to stop to eat something? What do you think?” Hopefully, Elsa would agree, because Anna had seen the way the other had been a little tense, especially when they’d bumped into strangers. They may not have meant them any harm (and Anna was always one to assume the best in people, especially when she didn’t know them, it generally helped her to get on good terms with them, and sometimes even helped her make new friends), but still, she’d rather have her servant calm down than force her to remain in a place in which she felt uncomfortable, even if she explained to her that nobody was out there to hurt her.

“Um…” Well, it was a little abrupt, as questions go, Elsa thought, but why not? To be honest, she was a little hungry, and if she wanted to eventually be able to fit the new dress Anna had offered her, she’d need to get used to eating a little more than what she’d been used to up ‘till now. “Yes, I’d like that, Mylady.” She gave a tentative smile, just to help Anna relax and not worry over her constantly. It wasn’t that she didn’t appreciate the care the princess was giving her, on the contrary, very few people had been as nice to her as the princess had, but surely Anna would grow tired of it eventually, it was better to try and not mess up yet, especially so soon after having been bought for her.

“Great!” And before she could react, Anna had already grabbed her hand and had broken into a run, excusing herself as she sometimes clumsily bumped into strangers. Elsa should have found it odd, should have seen Anna as someone strange, but she didn’t. Anna was doing what she liked, she was choosing to do all this, to act like any young girl would, while still being the princess of the city. How she could balance the two so easily, Elsa still couldn’t figure, but it was another thing she found really intriguing about her new Master, all this should have made her odd, bizarre, crazy even. Instead, it made Anna unique, and Elsa liked unique.

Unique was something a slave wasn’t allowed to be, unique was the complete opposite of a slave. Property like her had to fit certain criteria, had to be obedient, silent, devoted, property wasn’t allowed to have a personality. Anna, however, had allowed her to keep whatever made Elsa, she hadn’t made her give up what she was in order to serve her. Anna hadn’t asked for her to pledge her loyalty to her (although Elsa would probably have agreed wholeheartedly, she thought), Anna hadn’t given her a role to fit into to fit her own desires. The princess had let her continue to be Elsa, was even helping her do so by showing both lenience and kindness, something Elsa had thought she’d long since lost the right to. To an extent, she could almost consider he life to have changed for the better, for only a few days ago, nobody would have given a damn whether her clothes were too large for her, nobody would have cared had they forgotten to give her the rests of the night’s meal, nobody would have cared what she felt. Anna did, and the fact that someone cared meant more than any words one could whisper to her. She’d heard the lies already, men telling her they’d be willing to buy her after a night spent with them, men who would take her away but not to help, their words meant nothing. Anna’s did, because the princess actually seemed to genuinely care.

A sharp noise snapped her back into reality, Elsa barely having the time to try and process where it came from when Anna was pushed back onto her, the two of them falling to the floor in a most ungraceful manner.

“Aww!” Anna was laughing under what appeared to be a brown dog, trying to push the weight off her body as the carnivore kept licking her face affectionaly. “Hahaha! Sven, stop it! Please! I know you missed me, but it’s only been a few days, buddy!”

Elsa wasn’t too sure what she ought to do, the dog was obviously holding her Master to the floor, but Anna didn’t seem to be in danger, should she still try to help her? She took a tentative step closer, a little nervous still, not being very familiar with dogs (or any kind of pet, for that matter), and tried to extend a hand towards the brown animal, with no luck. Should she talk to it then? Try and lure it over to her so that the Princess could get up again? No, her voice didn’t even have an ounce of authority in it, how would a dog obey her when she was but someone to be ordered around?

“Please-“ Her voice shook, the dog not even hearing it above it’s own excited barks.

“Sven! Sven come back here!”

As quickly as the dog had been to leap on her, it backed down, and, without a second thought, eagerly ran back to it’s master, leaving Elsa a little stunned, still sitting on her backside on the pavement.

“I’m so sorry!” The voice was definitely male, Elsa thought, as she straightened the ends of her dress, grabbing Anna’s extended hand before getting back up to her feet. And indeed it was, a blond man, probably in his mid-twenties, face flushed from what must have been heat rushing over to them, the dog prancing around him. “Sven doesn’t mean any harm, really –Anna? What are you doing here?”

“Don’t mind Sven, Kristoff, he didn’t harm anyone. No, you didn’t, did you?” She cooed, scratching the behind the dog’s ears, earning herself a nice lick along her hand, before he took off again, back into the shop. “Ewww…”

“Well, what can I do for you, and your friend?” Kristoff offered, leading them into his shop and presenting them the vast choices of cakes he had, Elsa didn’t think she’d ever seen so many, especially in so many colors and shapes. There was literally _everything_.

“We just thought we’d drop in, for a snack, you know.” Anna informed him, leaning on the counter slightly, as Kristoff got back behind it and Elsa continued to stare at the different confections he’d made. “I’m showing Elsa around.”

“Elsa?” Kristoff repeated, “A new friend of yours?” He guessed, leaning down to retrieve some piece of tattered cloth that had fallen to the floor, before storing it away in one of the cupboards next to his counter, remembering that he’d have to fetch it later.

“Servant, actually, a birthday gift from Mother and Father, but yeah, you could call her a friend, I like to see it that way better.” Anna put a reassuring hand on the blonde’s shoulder, hoping that Elsa still wasn’t seeing herself as a lowly slave, but rather something along the lines as a friend of hers, for Anna knew that she, herself, would much rather be on friendly basis with the other than have to settle for a dominant and submissive relationship, she wasn’t overly fond of having to keep up a strict face constantly.

“Oh, well, I’m off to find the best snack I can find for you girls! Make yourselves comfortable.” Kristoff suggested, before dashing back to his counter to see what he had to offer to his two new customers, knowing he was going to have to find the best to impress the Princess and her friend.

“So,” Anna started, after the two of them had watched Kristoff disappear off to search for their order, “How do you find it here so far?” The younger girl hoped she’d done something right by bringing the blonde out, besides, she couldn’t keep Elsa locked in the castle forever, could she? That would just be cruel, and Anna didn’t really want to go down that path if she could avoid it, cruelty didn’t earn you long lasting friends, and if she kept in mind some of Elsa’s reactions over the past few days, the older had more than likely suffered enough, Anna wasn’t here to make things worse for her.

“It’s…” But Elsa couldn’t pinpoint exactly what she wanted to say. She’d seen many towns, some pretty, some not, some wealthy with the most beautiful buildings and some poor with mostly run-down inns and farms. Arendelle was different though, she’d never seen a city where all kinds of population mixed together, with no regards of their ranks, there weren’t guards posted at every corner, to insure the law, but neither were there thieves stowing away with what they’d managed to grab (none that she’d seen, anyway), it was as if everyone just…cohabitated, no matter what background they came from. She’d never seen anything like it, and just realizing it, it had her thinking that Anna’s father must have had long years of hard work behind it all, especially seen as how prosperous the city was in itself.

“It’s _different_ , really different.” True, Arendelle was pretty, it was grand, it was a bustling city, but for Elsa, it was different, and different meant a lot when one had spent most of their lives trailing around dirty hamlets and unsavory towns having to constantly check over their shoulder to make sure nothing was lurking in the shadows, ready to leap on them. There was none of that here, and the bustling of the people definitely didn’t make her feel edgy. Well, maybe Elsa _was_ still a little uncomfortable around strangers, but the people she’d come across this morning definitely hadn’t looked as if they’d wanted to harm her, so it was probably safe to assume that she wouldn’t constantly have to have her heart thunder in her chest in fear when a stranger approached her next time they went out, right?

“Different?” Anna didn’t understand, couldn’t understand, for she had not spent most of her life fearing others, she had not spent her life constantly looking over her shoulder and having to second guess everyone’s every move and word, she had grown up in an environment of trust and love, Elsa had been raised in fear and hurt. The two were fundamentally different, and had obviously given the two a different view of the world. Anna couldn’t understand.

“Yeah, different, but in a good way, I guess. I-I can’t really find the word for it, but I like it, really, I do.” Hesitating for a moment, Elsa extended her hand, just a little, until the tips of her fingers brushed against Anna’s, the natural warmth of them immediately soothing.

If the princess felt the touch, she either didn’t mind or didn’t care much for it, because nothing crossed her features. Elsa dared to hope that maybe, maybe Anna was someone she would be able to trust, eventually.

The moment was over as soon as it started, however, when Kristoff came back to them, putting down two plates with the most tempting slice of chocolate cake set on top of them, before retreating back to his counter, where another client was waiting to be served.

“You’ll see!” Anna eagerly said, grinning from cheek to cheek already, “Nothing beats Kristoff’s chocolate cake! It’s delicious!” And without waiting a moment longer, she dug into the dessert, humming in content as the sweet treat obviously pleased her, before going for another piece.

True, as she looked at the steaming hot cake, melted chocolate al but seeping through a hole on it’s side, it looked more than just a little appetizing, and, mouth starting to water, Elsa cut through the spongy texture with her spoon, before taking a bite, and true to what Anna had just said, it was absolutely exquisite.

“I told you it was nice, didn’t I?” Anna winked at her from across the table, watching her as she went back for another spoonful, grin now plastered on her face, spreading from ear to ear. Somehow, Elsa found it sort of endearing, and almost grinned back dreamily when she caught herself thinking such things. That was most certainly not thoughts any slave should harbor towards their master, definitely not, and, trying to cover up her slight slip, Elsa focused on finishing the piece of cake, hoping Anna wouldn’t notice her blushing all the while she did it.

Truth be told, Anna hadn’t noticed anything, except that her servant was obviously taken by the cake, and so, when Kristoff stopped by as he’d been heading back to his counter once again, she asked him if he would somehow be able to find them some more of those nice cakes, as, knowing they would please Elsa if she managed to get her hands on a few more of them, Anna was definitely going to try and do so. The blond man just beamed at the obvious success his pastries had succeeded in being once again, and dashed for the kitchen, gone barely a moment before he was back, offering Anna a whole bag full. The princess slid them discretely under the table, hoping Elsa hadn’t seen them so that she could surprise her that evening with more of them.

Looking at her again, Anna soon found her interest for the cakes fading away, as, leaning in slightly, she soon found simply watching Elsa relax a little and enjoy a simple thing like a plate of cakes was enough to make a grin appear on her face of her own accord. She watched the other, the shy persona having disappeared for a moment and instead, a radiant young girl, just a few years older than her, already beaming with the most simple of things, and for Anna, right then, there was nothing in the world that could possibly make her happier.


	6. Safe In Your Arms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Elsa has nightmares, there's finally someone she can run to.

As far as Anna could say, the day had gone quite well, to be honest. After breakfast that morning, with her parent’s leave, she and Elsa had spent the day downtown, making sure to stop by Kristoff’s shop again, where the two had shared a pleasant time around a generous plate of cakes. Anna wouldn’t say it out loud, but if she looked back on it, she’d probably spent more time observing how Elsa ate every crumb than devouring the pastries herself (not that it wasn’t any less pleasant to her, of course). She liked that, just being able to see the older girl smile freely and be genuinely relaxed without having to make sure somebody might be observing her from the shadows, ready to prance on her if ever she displayed so much as an ounce of happiness.

Because that was another thing that had been going to on Anna’s mind: true, Elsa belonged to her, but the more the days went by, the more Anna felt like doing things that might please the other, even if it was only small things like offering her a second cake when the blonde would only go for one or spontaneously place a flower she’d have plucked in the gardens into the silky fair hair. The small gestures always made Elsa smile, and when Elsa smiled, Anna always felt (more often than not, now that she was growing accustomed to the other’s daily presence) a pleasant warmth blossoming her chest, and a certain amount of satisfaction that _she_ was the one who had drawn it out of the timid girl. To her great delight, Elsa had also started to take tentatively break through the many layers of the shell she’d erected around her. It had been difficult, especially at first when Anna had tried to bring it up in their conversations and Elsa would just close off to her completely, but after some talking on her part and some acceptance from Elsa’s, Anna had finally been able to become somewhat of a confidante for the other (well, she hadn’t exactly reached that level of trust quite yet, but the fact that Elsa had felt safe enough to tell her a little about where she came from or some things that might have happened to her made Anna sure that she was doing something right at least.) It was a slow process, one they weren’t even close to reaching the end of yet, but Anna would take the time they needed, and besides, she enjoyed talking with Elsa, and to a certain degree, she could even say she liked her servant even more when she occasionally spilt an anecdote or two, knowing it helped Elsa lift the burden off her shoulders and it let Anna know that she was slowly gaining the other’s trust.

Since what she now referred to as the “bedroom incident”, when she’d found Elsa in the corner of the room when they’d both shared her big bed that night, she hadn’t forced the blonde to come near her, and had in fact asked that a second (a little smaller) bed be brought into her room. It wasn’t nearly as big or as luxurious as her own, but the sparkle that had lit up in Elsa’s eye as she’d gradually understood that this was for her had been worth it. She’d spluttered things along the line that she had no need for one of her own, that it could very well serve someone much more important than her, but Anna hadn’t wanted that small light Elsa’d finally seemed to come into touching distance of to fly away, and so had insisted on offering the piece of furniture to her.

It seemed to have done the trick too, because while Anna could say she was not one that slept much, as soon as Elsa had sunk into the mattress, it had only taken her minutes to drift off. The princess had tried several times to get some sort of response from the other, but had given up eventually. Instead, Anna huffed, knowing this was again one of those nights where sleep just wouldn’t come to her. As a child, she’d linked it to the fact that the moon and starts were awake too and had wanted to play with her. Growing up however, the childish excuse did seem quite farfetched when she’d thought back on it sometimes. Still, her light sleep had never really etched away, and more often than not, her parents wondered how their daughter who slept so little could always be so lively. Sighing softly, Anna pushed back her covers, before quietly getting out of the bed and making it over to the window, picking up a snug blanket on the way, before sitting down in front of it, wrapping the warm fabric around her. Leaning back against the wall, head resting on the cool glass, she gazed outside, as the raindrops kept falling.

It was calming, in a sense, as, right now, nothing mattered. She wasn’t a princess, she didn’t have any expectations, she didn’t have any duties to attend to, no, nothing. Right now, she was just Anna, only daughter of the King and Queen of Arendelle, the little girl who would often find herself unable to sleep at night and who would look up at the stars and gaze into the night and make countless wishes, sometimes for a pet, sometimes for a handsome young man to enter her life, sometimes for a friend for when times got lonely. It was moments like this that she appreciated the grand window in her room, the vast emptiness of the sky above her stretching out far beyond her field of vision, dragging her into the non-ending void, taking her away from her duties and expectations, even if it was only for a few hours. It wasn’t that Anna disliked or feared the role she would play once her parents were gone, it was just… Well, sometimes she appreciated being able to escape the downside of being a princess.

She knew she ought not to disregard her position, for many around her dreamt of living the life she had, and she would have to be a fool to not be aware of all the advantages that being a part of the governor’s family entailed. It was simply, sometimes, she wished she could act more like herself, not have to be this uptight and serious woman during meetings, not have to stroll downtown when she could skip along one of the many walls that surrounded the city and get a better view of everything that was going on. What harm could it do anyway, if someone saw her act as such?

_Because that isn’t what’s expected of you._ A snide little voice in the back of her head reminded her, making Anna groan.

But being a princess had recently felt stifling, so much that Anna had felt like she’d started losing parts of herself to the mask she was supposed to be forging for the day she would become Queen. She missed being able to laugh and use her bright personality, and having to hide it away to only use it in private or to share it with Kristoff when she’d be able to drop by his shop felt stifling, felt like not being herself, because the straight façade she used in councils and in the few meeting her Father summoned her to were definitely not a reflection of who she was.

Elsa, well Elsa allowed her to somehow take a break from all that. Of course, she didn’t like the blonde only because of that temporary escape she offered, but it was nice to know that at least around her, Anna didn’t have to keep up being Princess Anna, heir to the throne of Arendelle. Other nobles might tell her that her approach to offering her servant a new life was wrong, that she ought to have her kneel at all times, have the blonde refer to her as Master, have her clean her clothes, brush her hair and bring her her meals, but the mere thought of imposing such a life on someone made Anna cringe. She knew that from now on, most of Elsa’s life would revolve around her, because from what she’d seen, the older girl was certainly not about to risk running away. While Anna didn’t think she’d mistreated the other yet, she still didn’t want Elsa’s whole life to be only about serving her, she thought Elsa might deserve to do something for herself from time to time. The only problem there was that Elsa had been conditioned to put others before herself, and Anna didn’t think it was something particularly new, unfortunately.

She sighed, the rain falling against her window drowning out the sound. Teaching Elsa that she could sometimes do things for herself and shouldn’t think badly of doing so was going to be hard, given how jumpy the older girl already was, and Anna didn’t want to scare her more, even less force her to adopt a lifestyle she wasn’t familiar of comfortable with yet, even if it would be better for her. Being flat-out honest with her didn’t seem like the right thing to do either though. Her Father hadn’t said much about where Elsa had come from or what had been done to her, but Anna had seen a few bruises on the girl’s shoulder, and she wasn’t about to fool herself into thinking that those were the only marks Elsa had on her body. If what she thought those scars implied, then her servant had probably never really been offered the chance to feel good about herself, let alone be proud of what she could do.

Anna’s heart fell, as she thought of it. She liked Elsa, and the older girl had proven herself able to partake in some of the good things life could offer –Anna had even seen her smile earlier for crying out loud! It was the fact that she’d obviously been taught that she wasn’t deserving of such things that made Anna cringe. The princess had always thought that anybody could find something nice in life, be they royalty, peasant, or even slave. She’d been wrong though, oh so wrong. The way Elsa had flinched that first night, when she’d laid a hand on her shoulder had been enough for Anna to slowly realize that nobody must have given her a loving touch in years, and her heart ached at the thought.

The princess winced at the implication, not even able to imagine how lonely life must have been for Elsa, but she shook her head. No, the blonde wasn’t alone anymore, and as long as she was under her care, Anna wasn’t about to let anyone hurt her, and she knew she would have to try her best to not let her impulses get the better of her, knowing how she sometimes acted before thinking. She definitely didn’t want to distress the other girl more than she was already (although, Anna was secretly hoping that Elsa was liking it here, in the castle, and that, well for now at least, she wished to stay), and if that meant that she’d have to stop being touchy-feely with her, well, Anna _could_ do that.

The sound of the raindrops hitting her window again brought her out of her reverie, and Anna almost drew back as she saw her breath ghost up in front of her. It took her a moment to actually process that it was indeed happening when a shiver ran down her spine, when had it become so cold? Winter was leagues away!

Blaming the fact that she must be a little tired, and that the energy she would be using to keep her warm was what was keeping her awake, she drew the blanket around her shoulder a little tighter, hoping it would do the trick.

It didn’t.

The stone beneath her bare feet was freezing, her toes being surely blue by now, Anna thought, as she had some difficulty moving them. The princess brought her hands down, trying to rub the skin in a poor attempt to heat it up, but still, the unwelcome chill persisted, now feeling like it was seeping into her bones. Why was it so cold?

Looking down, Anna noticed little white specks littered across the ground, which seemed to have fallen literally everywhere in her room. It was odd, but she couldn’t help but find it pretty at the same time. Intrigued now, she knelt down, ghosting a finger over the white substance, taking her a moment to figure out what it was, but as the white soon melted into nothing more than a small wet patch on her digit, she found her answer. _Snow._ It was snow.

That explained why the chills had kept running down her spine, but was it snowing in her bedroom in the first place? Her window wasn’t open, and besides, Winter was not even close to coming upon them yet, so why-?

_Elsa._ She’d been told that her servant could wield ice, but even when she’d asked the blonde to confirm it, she hadn’t really thought much about it. Maybe it was something she was going to have to look into with her servant eventually, because she couldn’t have her freeze the entire palace on her, even if it was only by accident.

Straightening herself up before getting back on her feet, her back protesting violently at the fact of having to support her weight in the middle of the night, when it would much rather rest, Anna tiptoed quietly to her bed, where, indeed, she could see that Elsa was most certainly not dreaming of anything pleasant, her ears confirming what her eyes saw when her servant let out something akin to a whimper mere seconds later.

Knowing she couldn’t just stand there and do nothing, but unsure whether to sit down close to the blonde, knowing that while Elsa had started trusting her, she couldn’t get too close to her yet, the princess resorted to put a warm hand on the other’s forehead, wincing at how cold the skin beneath her was, before stroking gently. It took a few moments for her soothing motions to work, but eventually, she was rewarded when two blue eyes peered up at her from the covers, the dark circles beneath them testifying her earlier suspicions that Elsa had most definitely not been sleeping soundly.

The two looked at each other for a while, none daring to interrupt whatever silence had fallen in the room, but eventually, Anna’s concern got the better of her, she squeezed Elsa’s shoulder slightly, just to let the other girl know that she was there for her.

“Are you all right? Sorry for waking you, but you didn’t seem to be sleeping very well.” Anna made sure to keep some sort of gentle tone, so that Elsa wouldn’t think that she was annoyed with her for being woken up in the middle of the night. “Do you need anything?”

Elsa didn’t move, she didn’t dare. A part of her knew that she ought not to expect any blow or harsh insults form her Master, but the other being conditioned from years of abuse knew to not fool herself. She’d woken Anna up because she hadn’t been able to control her powers, the white spreading from her bed was a painful evidence of that, as was the significant drop of the temperature in the room. Quickly, she shook her head, knowing that Anna would probably much rather return to her well needed sleep rather than have to look after her.

“N-No, Anna, I’m fine, really, I just-“

“You’re not fine, Elsa, I can see it.” Anna tried to keep her voice even, but the fact that Elsa was resorting to hiding whatever was the matter with her wasn’t doing either of them good, and Anna wanted to help. She knew she ought not to pry, especially if Elsa didn’t want to share whatever was on her mind, but her Mother had often told her how talking about a problem was a good solution, and Anna was inclined to agree. “Please, please tell me what’s wrong,” and when Elsa shook her head again, she hastily added, “so that I can help you. I want to help.”

_Help._

Elsa hadn’t even realized that she’d started shaking until that one word Anna had uttered made her stop. Help.

Nobody had offered her help in the past… well a long time. Anna so freely giving it to her, when she wasn’t paying her –well, technically- Master anything back, it didn’t seem fair. But then again, if it was what Anna _wanted_ to do, then she ought to let her, right? Even if she was the one supposed to see to _Anna’s_ needs, if Anna wanted to see to hers, who was she to deny her?

Besides, Elsa accepted the fact that she could indeed do with Anna’s support, especially if the princess was literally offering her a helping hand, she would have to be a fool to ignore it, not when she’d spent countless nights as a child just wishing for somebody, someday, to lend her a listening ear, wishing for somebody to come into her life and become that rock she could lean on. If Anna was offering herself as that rock, would Elsa be in her rights to lean on it then? Elsa wanted to try, she really did, and for once, the fear that she might be doing something wrong was drowned by the need to confide in the other.

She clutched Anna’s sleeve just a little tighter, where earlier, her hand had barely touched the other girl’s limb, desperate for the support, before burying her face in Anna’s chest, resting it there and making the most of the warmth that was offered to her, the steady beat of the golden heart beneath a soothing rhythm, as the brunette had started rocking them gently.

Once the shaking had diminished somewhat, Anna deemed it safe enough to loosen her grip on the other girl, still keeping Elsa’s body resting against hers, and took to stroking the blonde hair methodically, knowing it was a motion her mother had often had to use with her as a child when Anna had come running to her room in the middle of the night after a bad dream. Elsa didn’t have a mother, but Anna thought she could do just as well.

The two sat in silence for another while, just content in knowing that nothing was going to happen, one offering comfort and the other sinking into the blessed security the arms around her provided for her, the rain outside an almost lulling sound in the distance, allowing their limbs to relax.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Anna murmured after a while, knowing that talking through something, no matter how unpleasant, was often the best solution. No answer came, however, only a tiny shake from Elsa’s head. Anna sighed but went along with it, they could always talk it out when Elsa was ready. Instead, she returned to her rocking motion, after having wrapped the two of them in the blanket she’d taken from the bed, and kept up the steady but soothing action until the body in her arms became a dead weight, Elsa’s soft breath ghosting against her shoulder letting her know that the other had managed to drift off to a peaceful sleep.

She would have liked to move, bring Elsa back to the bed, where both of them would have been more comfortable, but the thought of disturbing the other when she’d obviously not had much of a night’s sleep, and so, she decided against it. Leaning against the wall, her head falling on top of the blonde, Anna clutched the other’s thinner body just a little tighter, hoping that whatever monsters came back to trouble Elsa’s sleep, she could use the princess as a shield, that as long as she was in Anna’s arms, she wasn’t going to let anything harm her.


	7. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna tries to help, and Elsa ends up doing something she might regret.

Anna’s eyes burnt from the lack of sleep when she opened them that morning. She almost berated herself for actually missing out on her sleep when a weight on her shoulder reminded her why exactly she’d given up on her precious power-nap. Indeed, moving slightly, in order to get rid of the stiffness in her neck, Elsa’s head shifted slightly, before finding a comfortable position next to her once again, the blonde not having even displayed the slightest hint of waking up anytime soon.

Anna smiled, carefully lifting her right arm and delicately wrapping some of the blonde strands of hair around her finger, twirling the silver strands as if she were weaving silver. They almost glowed, with the morning rays filtering through the window, and the princess found herself mesmerized at the phenomenon. The hair was soft, silky, unlike her own, which (more often than not) looked like a real lion’s mane when she woke up after having had it spread all night on one of her many pillows. Elsa’s hair, in addition to being of a color she’d never seen before in her short live, slid through her hands like running water, shining as the light hit it, almost sparkling. Anna liked it.

Anna realized that she seemed to like a lot of things about Elsa, as of late.

She couldn’t pinpoint exactly why Elsa in particular kept her fascinated, maybe it was the fact that she was so broken, that Anna had only ever met other girls that had led a normal life and that this was a completely new thing that she had to deal with. It pained her, just to imagine what the other must have been through, but if anything good was to be taken out of it, it made Elsa a thousand times more interesting than the visiting princesses she’d had the pleasure (well, more like, the unfortunate expectancy) to meet when foreign dignitaries had come to discuss politics with her Father.

She remembered a few of those girls, pampered young women, caring for nothing much outside appearances and stealing glances at the handsome young men that went about their days in the palace, and while Anna would be lying if she hadn’t been thrilled to sneak around with them when they’d chased the boys, their talk about superficial beauty and the description each one had made of their dream-husband (a tall, well-groomed and generally wealthy and educated young lad), it had eventually bored her to listen to each one paint the same picture over and over. Where was the fun in an uptight, moral-bound husband who would expect nothing more from you than to act appropriately and, when she’d been old enough to grasp what marriage entailed, produce an heir to secure his lineage?

Of course, the discussions she’d had hadn’t been exclusively about men. She remembered, once, when this red-headed princess –what was her name already? Arianna? Katherina? Well, it wasn’t too important anyway- had mentioned one of her servant ladies having an affair with another woman. That had caused an outrage in the room, she could still remember the shock painted on each of the other girls’ faces safe for her, who’d innocently asked what the problem was all about. The look they’d given her, pure disbelief, it had hurt, and the explanations hadn’t been kind either: _You can’t just love a woman, Anna!_ Or _It’s not natural!_ Sometimes going so far as to say it was outright disgusting and against morals.

Anna’s willingness to try and understand the accused women hadn’t been welcomed warmly at all, and she’d never dared raise the question again, of why it was improper to love another woman. Her parents had always told her that love had no boundaries, so if it was right to love a man, who was it wrong to love a woman? Nevertheless, Anna had never brought it back up, not having given the subject much thought after the guests had left and had gone back to daydreaming about being swept off by a handsome stranger and imagining countless romantic encounters she would someday have with her prince charming. Sometimes, it was a blonde sat atop a beautiful white horse, who would lend her a helping hand to climb behind him and offer her a red rose before the two would go galloping off into the sunset, sometimes it was a mysterious black-haired stranger that would help her aboard his ship, serving her the most delicious hot chocolate, and they would set sail into the sunset, the tides of the unknown awaiting the couple, and sometimes, it was the simplest red-head boy, who would shyly come up to her and admit his feelings, and the two would embrace and experience the sweetest kisses, the taste still ghosting on her lips when she would wake up. But none of those phantom young men had ever made her chest warm up like Elsa did.

It had been unexpected, to say the least. Anna had grown up on these stories of princesses and princes who would meet and fall in love at first sight, but as much as she loved those tails, none of the many boys of her dreams had ever set foot into her castle, nor the city of Arendelle for that matter, for no boy that she might have caught a glance of in the streets had ever made her heart flutter in her chest. Elsa, though, she was still trying to figure out what she was feeling for the blonde, and needless to say, it was puzzling her deeply.

It wasn’t love, Anna was sure of that (and besides, Elsa’s reluctance to do anything leaning towards physically displaying love for each other had been quite clear to her in the other’s gestures already), but she somehow still found herself wanting to help. She couldn’t explain it. She’d had many friends before, her bright personality having drawn many a girl into her circle of close confidants as a child, however those had come and went, and Anna had never felt it pull at her heart strings when it happened. If Elsa were to leave… Well the thought already had her heart sinking, and Anna couldn’t even pinpoint why. Maybe she was the sister she’d never known, maybe she was the best friend life had forgotten to give to her before now, maybe she was the future confidante she was to keep once she would secure her place as a queen, she didn’t know. But Anna did want to keep Elsa by her side for, hopefully, for a long time in the foreseeable future. That was, if Elsa wanted it, of course. She wouldn’t force the blonde into anything she didn’t want, knowing Elsa had probably endured enough of that already.

As if on cue, the head next to hers nuzzled into her shoulder, seeking the warmth her skin freely offered, the thin nightdress she wore not doing much to conceal it and keep it for herself. Anna smiled, she liked _this_ Elsa, even if she was unconscious, because despite the conditioning the other had had, in her sleep, her need for affection still showed, and with Elsa’s brain no longer there to order it’s repression, the instinct acted by itself, and the brunette smiled, as her servant displayed she was clearly able to do things without fearing the consequences. Now, to have her do the same while being awake and alert was another thing entirely, which would undoubtedly take time. But they had time, Anna argued, loads of time ahead of them, and for now, she might as well stay here, her hand continuing to stroke the soft hair beneath it.

How long had passed when Elsa opened her eyes, Anna couldn’t say, but those sleepy blue orbs peering up at her were definitely the cutest things she’d seen, puppy-Sven coming in at a close second of course (because that dog had simply been adorable in its younger days, Anna remembered fondly). It had taken a few moments for the initial grogginess to edge away, during which Anna had gone about the room, fishing out the one of the new dresses she’d had the tailor make for Elsa and handing it to her, and eventually, Elsa had both managed to slip into it (the fabric still a little large to Anna’s dismay, she was definitely going to have to encourage Elsa to eat more) and shake off the last remains of sleep.

Breakfast had been a simple mug of hot chocolate (a warm drink Anna was thrilled to see that Elsa liked as much as her) and a few cakes, before the princess remembered one of her promises –well, not technically a promise, but something she’d said to herself that she’d see to- and suggested that they go out for the day, somewhere out by the river, where they would be alone and Elsa wouldn’t have to deal with the unneeded stress to be around too many people. She’d asked her Mother for the day off beforehand, letting her know that she would be unable to attend to any business relating to the kingdom for that day, and while she’d been a little hesitant, reminding Anna that while she was thrilled that her birthday present had grown so much on her, she also needed to think of attending some of the meetings from time to time, she’d eventually relented, Anna’s puppy-dog eyes having once again worked their magic, and the princess had dashed away, but not before promising her Mother that she would try to see to her duties too (but just not today.) Of course, when she’d suggested her idea to Elsa, the blonde accepted (probably because it had been a suggestion from her Master, but Anna hoped that the other girls started realizing that she could make her own choices too, and accept and decline according to what she felt like), and after a quick good-morning to her parents, both of them were off, a little bag with what Anna deemed reasonable for lunch strapped over her shoulder.

Anna loved the river side, it was a place her Mother would often bring her to, and an odd sense of calmness always overcame her whenever she came near. Knowing that they were more than likely safe from the masses for the day, Anna’s shoulders relaxed, hoping the sound of the water flowing might ease Elsa’s nerves too, especially after what she’d been through last night. She didn’t know if the blonde was that type of girl, but the royal had had the occasion to chat with one or two of her servants, back in the days when becoming a princess had seemed like an impossible task to her. She’ explained how the world seemed to have closed in on her, making it hard to breathe and the walls around her made her feel trapped, and while they’d looked at her sadly, being sorry that they could not take her title away from her because she was born with it, one of them had suggested taking a stroll to the nearby river, claiming just taking time to watch the water flow slowly sometimes helped her relax after a hard day’s work. Anna had been a little disbelieving at first, doubtful that water could take away the pressure of being a princess, but she’d given it a shot. And she’d taken back her words immediately, for her servant’s suggestion had indeed worked miracles. While it had not tempered her excitable nature, it had helped her pose herself when she’d felt the need to be in control of her emotions or calm down, and she’d been incredibly grateful to the older lady, repaying her with a small chocolate cake she’d bought at Kristoff’s bakery. It wasn’t much, but the woman had smiled none the less when she’d been offered the token of gratitude.

“So,” she said, after a while, breaking the companionable silence the two had been sitting in, gazing at the river, “Do you like it here?” She’d probably asked that question already, and truth be told, Elsa had more than likely answered it too, but Anna just couldn’t find anything else to start a conversation of with, and she wanted to talk to Elsa, for fear the other might take her silence as an act of reluctance, that Anna didn’t want to spend time with her (and Elsa couldn’t be more wrong if ever the thought flashed across her mind).

Last time she’d asked, she thought she could remember Elsa having said that it was _different,_ but had never exactly voiced her own opinion, had never explicitly said whether she liked it or not, probably too frightened still to voice her own opinion. That was something else they were going to have to work on, and Anna was certainly not going to pass up on an opportunity to develop the other girl’s self-confidence.

It was something she’d been taught, being next in line for the throne and everything, her Father having told her that a monarch who was always sure of himself and his decisions, who did not hesitate while he spoke and who did not feel the need to always let other dictate his way to rule (of course, a king always had to think about what was in the best interest of his subjects, just _maybe_ not one-hundred percent of the time), was someone to be remembered for _who_ he was. And Anna hoped she could do that, see to everybody’s needs but while still conserving what made her, well, Anna. She didn’t want to be another faceless ruler who just did their duty and passed on, leaving the kingdom to whoever succeeded her, she wanted to be remembered, to be loved, and to obtain the people’s good graces, she’d learnt that it was important for her to balance both the mask of both the Queen and Anna, she had to both be able to do what would be required of her but still remain the woman capable of showing both emotions and strength, someone the people could look up to and know she was there to look out for them. Showing emotions wasn’t wrong. Voicing her ideas and opinions wasn’t wrong. Being Anna wasn’t wrong.

And if she was encouraged to be Anna while slowly taking up the mantel of being Queen, then surely Elsa could be Elsa, the girl who was tentatively taking steps into becoming something invaluable to her.

“Yes,” the nod was a little hesitant at first, but with Anna’s encouraging smile, Elsa dared to nod more fervently, well intent on showing the other that this wasn’t just a _yes, I like it,_ but a _Yes, this is the best thing that ever happened to me._ Nobody had ever shown her the kindness Anna had, and Anna was royalty. The princess had never thrown a fit, had never physically hurt her, had never yelled abuse, no, none of that had ever happened inside the walls of Arendelle castle. “Yes, I really do, Anna.”

She had never thought Fate would be so kind to her. The day the merchant had brought her and the rest of his slaves into the city and she’d found herself bought by the King, she’d felt nothing short of terror, knowing that if an average free citizen was allowed to reprimand her however harshly he deemed fit, Royalty surely knew no boundaries, but Anna had never used violence. Not once, not even when she’d accidently hit her when Anna had woken her up from one of her nightmares.

Elsa had gradually understood that Anna was special, that no matter where she may go next, she was never ever going to find someone like the princess again in her life, and because she was special and that she did not know how long she might be able to enjoy ( _Enjoy?_ Could she actually say that she enjoyed it?) the company of the younger girl, she wanted to make her smile as often as possible. That smile meant everything, it meant that she was doing her job right, it meant that Anna was happy, and if Anna was happy, then Elsa was too, and not mechanically simply because Anna was her Master. Elsa found herself genuinely smiling whenever Anna was happy –probably because the young princesses’ smile was contagious, she thought, her lips curving upwards ever so slightly, no attempt to hide it.

“Ah, here we are!” Anna said excitedly, putting down the little bag she’d had strapped about her shoulder, and taking a small checkered blanket out of it, carefully spreading it on the ground before sitting on it herself, and tapping the empty space beside her as an invitation for Elsa to do the same.

“This is where Mother would bring me sometimes, as a child, just her and me. Father was a boy, and boys weren’t allowed on our special girls’ day.” Anna winked, before turning back to look at the calm river a few feet in front of them, continuing it’s never ending course and not bothered in the slightest by their settling down. “It’s always been a special place for me, somehow.”

“It ‘s really pretty.” Elsa agreed, taking in the tall trees with lush leaves, the sun’s reflection on the sparkling water, and the countless flowers that seemed to bloom everywhere around them, spring clearly showing its presence.

Quietly, she dared to lean on Anna’s shoulder, content in just taking in the scenery as Anna’s arms shifted beneath her, but the blonde found herself too fascinated by the beautiful shades of green to look down at what the princess was doing.

Anna’s nimble fingers had lazily picked up a few flowers, and, after turning them over in her hands, not really being too sure what to do with them, a quick glance at the blonde hair leaning on her shoulder made an idea bloom quite quickly, and so the younger girl’s fingers started moving of their own accord, picking up a few stems and methodically weaving them together, carefully choosing colors that would match and stay in the same tone. Nothing was said between the two, but both were smiling, one just able to relish in the feeling of absolute relaxation and the other quietly crafting her small gift with great care, hoping Elsa wouldn’t look up until she’d finished, less she spoil the surprise she was making for her.

She looked up, from time to time, trying to pick out which flower would bring out which strand of hair, or which one should be closer to her friend’s eyes, which ones would contrast better with the pale skin, but as she did so, Anna’s hands really moves on their own, the young woman not looking down to actually pick a color as she enjoyed observing the other, instead of focusing on her task.

Elsa, while still a little thin, had managed to get a slight rosy color painted on her cheeks, and were it not a sign of being on the way to recovering her health, Anna would have almost smiled fondly as she’d have liked it to the traces of a blush (Elsa was cute, when she blushed, she’d noticed that already). Her hair had still remained that pale blonde color, almost silver at times, and soon, both her and her parents had come to the conclusion that there was nothing to be done, the color was set and there was no changing it (not that Anna wanted to, it made Elsa special). But the best change of all was that Elsa was smiling more. It was still a little hesitant at times, and Anna noticed Elsa glancing around to make sure nobody was watching before her lips curled upwards from time to time, but that old habit seemed to be (at last) slowly fading away, letting Elsa take control of her own emotions once more.

Hoping this might just be the first step in eventually getting rid of that bothersome streak, Anna attached the last flower to her crown, before gently settling the coronet on Elsa’s head.

“Wha-?” But Elsa didn’t finish, blushing fiercely as she caught her reflection in the water beneath. “Eh-Thank you, it’s-it’s pretty.”

“Glad you like it.” Anna chuckled, as she put one of the leftover flowers in her own hair, just over her ear, like she’d learnt to do with some of the other girls when she’d been younger.

“What is it?”

Anna’s hand froze, as her fingers were about to leave the bloom in her red mane. Elsa didn’t know about flower crowns?

“Nobody’s ever made you a flower crown?” And Elsa’s earnest head-shake was enough of a confirmation that, no, nobody had _ever_ made her one of these. “My Mother used to make them for me, when I was younger. I remember, I’d go running around and bringing her back tons of flowers and asking her to weave them together, looking back on it, I probably brought her too many.” Anna grinned at the memory, her Mother often saying that she’d bring back mismatched colors or different kinds of flowers that just wouldn’t go together (Anna had never really had much of an artist’s eye unfortunately), but she’d have brought them together to make a crown all the same, because her daughter’s smile as she’d give it back to her was worth it. “Didn’t yours?”

She regretted the question almost immediately, as the smile she’d managed to draw out from it’s hiding place vanished, and Elsa’s mouth became a thin line once again, the lines appearing on her face betraying that this was a sensitive subject for the blonde, one Anna regretted to have brought up.

“Listen, you don’t have to answer, I’m sorry I brought it-“

“No,” Elsa cut her off, knowing she couldn’t make Anna feel guilty all the time for saying things she didn’t know were going to affect her. There was no way the princess could have known this would have tugged at feeling she’d long since repressed, and even if she had, Anna wasn’t one who would intentionally hurt her, Elsa could safely say she was sure of that. “No, it’s all right, Anna, please don’t beat yourself over it. It’s just- I still miss her, sometimes.”

“Miss her?” Anna echoed, voice almost lost to the quiet rippling of the water at their feet.

“Mother.” Elsa supplied gently, “I don’t remember her much, just that she was extremely kind. But she couldn’t keep me, not enough money to feed us both you see. And she was afraid of my powers, not that I blame her, of course, but what was she to do?

She tried keeping me, she really did, but as the months passed, my powers only grew, until she just couldn’t take it anymore. She needed the money, we were both slowly starving to death. Maybe she thought it best if she sold me to someone who might be able to see to my needs, she never really knew my old Master though. He’d expressed an interest in my powers, a suitable client, some would say. He wasn’t though, kept telling me my powers were wrong, not natural, once people recoiled from me and I started to follow him everywhere, no place to go anymore.”

Anna wanted to interrupt, find something to say, anything, but the words caught in her throat.

“But, well, maybe things haven’t turned out so bad, in the end.” Elsa sighed, looking back at her, “At least, I met you, even if I’m still cursed with my powers.”

Anna smiled, a fuzzy warmth spreading in her chest at the clear display of gratitude Elsa was showing her. Of course, the blonde didn’t have to, whether Elsa was her personal servant or just the new cook, Anna probably would have treated her just the same, but the fact that her friend seemed so thankful to her for treating her better than she must have been in ages, Anna couldn’t help but smile.

But then there came the question of Elsa’s powers. It was obvious to Anna that the blonde was afraid of them (whether it was of her own will or the fact that she’d been taught to fear them, the princess still couldn’t chose), but the problem was there, and she wanted to help, so that Elsa wouldn’t constantly fear herself. It was probably going to take time, but they had that, didn’t they? Besides, what did they have to lose in trying?

Abruptly, Anna stood up “Hey, they’re not.” She reassured, taking Elsa by the hand, the poor blonde a little stunned to do the movement by herself.

“What?” Confusion plainly written across her face, Elsa tried to pinpoint why exactly Anna was suddenly displaying one of the biggest smiles she’d ever seen, but, while the princess was never one to hide what she was feeling (or thinking, sometimes, for that matter), Elsa found herself unable to find any faint trace of why Anna was so happy all of a sudden.

“Your powers of course!” Anna laughed, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, “Let’s try using them!” And the more the idea forms in her head, the more excited she became, literally coming to the point where she had to mentally restrain herself from jumping up and down.

“What??” Elsa almost reeled back, eyes wide, not understanding in the slightest why Anna would be all smiles and dimples at the thought of seeing her wield whatever sorcery she was cursed with. He powers weren’t anything good, everybody had always told her as such and had encouraged her to keep them hidden, why would Anna want to see such monstrosity? “I-I can’t!” Not even wanting to think of what might happen to her were she to accidently hurt the princess with them, Elsa tried backing away, which, to her dismay, only seemed to fuel Anna on more and make her more determined than ever, as the younger girl took a steps forwards, well intent on having her way. “W-We can’t! It’s too dangerous!”

“It’s only dangerous because you think it is.” Anna countered, keeping her tone soft, trying to lure Elsa in. There was nothing to be afraid of, she just wanted to help. Besides, if things went wrong, there was nobody Elsa could hurt, well, except maybe a stray animal, but even then, surely it couldn’t be that bad, right? And they could bring the injured thing back to the castle if need be anyway, there was undoubtedly someone there who would be able to help.

“B-But…” Elsa was baffled, Anna actually wanted to help? And she was not being a hypocrite either? (Because Elsa had met people who’d said they’d help only for them to turn on her back too). She unclenched her fists, letting them hang loosely at her side, unsure of what she ought to do. She didn’t want to turn Anna’s willingness to help down, knowing she shouldn’t because she was a princess and not wanting to ither because it would hurt Anna to have her enthusiasm pushed away. But what if she hurt her? Even accidentally? She’d had the misfortune of hurting people with it before, and it had never ended well for her. But those men had been peasants, low nobles at the most. Anna was a royal. If word got out that a lowly servant had actually hurt the princess of Arendelle, she didn’t even want to think of the consequences, let alone the reaction the King might have…

“Please.” Anna insisted though, wanting to break though that wall of fear Elsa had built around that part of her that was supernatural. “I want to help you, I promise.” Lifting her hands up in surrender, just to let Elsa know she wasn’t risking anything because they were discussing her powers, “Just help.” She added, so the word would ingrain itself in the older girl’s system, that she wasn’t about to get hurt for this.

“Look” Anna pointed to a small patch of grass on the ground, a little lighter in color due to the fact that the sun was really shining on it, thus making it stand out next to the surrounding blades, “Why don’t we try with this?” It wasn’t going to harm anyone, and the few blades of green were not going to be missed, so it was really as good as an excuse than any. “Try here” Anna suggested, patting the small patch with her hand.

Elsa looked at her still, a little unsure. Anything else Anna might have asked, she’d have complied, but this? There was no guarantee she wasn’t going to hurt her Master, no guarantee at all, andif she did, Elsa knew the consequences were no doubt going to be painful. The King and Queen had been extremely nice to her, but of word got out that she’d hurt their only daughter, even if it had been unintentional, punishment was surely going to be very harsh. And Elsa knew she’d rather not face harsh punishment ever again, once had been quite enough in her lifetime, thank you very much.

But Anna was asking, insisting, wide blue eyes pleading to her like a small child would beg their mother for the last cookie in a jar, and, biting her lip, Elsa found herself unable to refuse.

Closing her eyes, desperately hoping she wouldn’t scratch the other, she tried concentrating, building that freezing feeling in her fingers, before exhaling, letting go of the pent-up cold and releasing it, intently watching the green grass turn white as the ice climbed up each blade, the lush green turning into a pale white, glittering under the sun.

A hint of a smile creped onto her face at her accomplishment, but fell almost immediately when she saw the white color expand to the few fallen leaves next to the patch of grass she’d aimed for. She still couldn’t control the expanse of space she could turn into ice then, and Elsa bit her lip, disappointment washing over her in a cold wave as the white color continued to crawl on the ground, as if alive, and seep into another few fallen leaves, turning their tips into its distinct pale color.

“I don’t think I’m ever going to be able to control them, Anna.” And Elsa was saying this simply because she’d failed her first attempt. She’d lived with this curse for so many years now, she’d given up hope altogether. She’d tried, she really had, when she’d been younger, because it was what had been asked of her, but she’d never managed to (and nobody had really bothered to offer her any help either, for that matter, simply expecting her to be able to have the power under control at all times). Anna would see it too, how useless she was, how much time she was going to waste if they spent time trying the impossible, when Anna could probably be spending those hours chatting with Kristoff at his bakery or training with her Father.

“Try again, then.”

Elsa looked up, startled. She’d been expecting Anna to sigh, shake her head in defeat, actually _realize_ that this was a lost cause and that she was going to have to live with a monster. She was going to push her away for sure, then, tell her what countless other had told her: the _conceal, don’t feel_ motto, which she’d been unable to keep to.

But Anna didn’t.

“Try again.” She repeated, this time a little more firmly, causing an involuntary flinch to course through Elsa’s body, and she watched, as the blonde concentrated, hard, scrunching her eyes closed so she wouldn’t see, before the magical white powder fled her hands, aiming once again for a few blades of grass beneath them.

Anna watched, amazed that someone could possibly withhold such an ability, and her eyes stayed glued to the white sheet of ice covering the small patch of leaves on the ground, the once healthy green now a pale variant, and the princesses’ mouth hung open.

Why was Elsa so scared of her powers if she could do such things with them? They were great!

“I-I really don’t understand why you don’t like being able to do this, it’s amazing!” She exclaimed, as she bent down to touch the solid lump on the floor, her fingers recoiling slightly as the cold seeped into them when she touched the hard grass. _I wish I could be special like this too,_ Anna thought.

_It’s really not as amazing as you think it is_ Elsa thought grimly, but was unwilling to spoil the moment they were sharing, Anna was happy and so was she (to a certain degree), there was no use causing an argument when no one had been hurt or said anything worth starting a fight over.

“Here,” Anna straightened herself from where she’d crouched down, handing her a small stick, “Maybe a solid object would be easier?” And that hopeful smile she gave her once again crumbled Elsa’s want to refuse, less she end up hurting someone. Tentatively, she took the offered object in her hands, closing her digits around it, the distinct white color slowly creeping upwards. The blonde wanted to recoil at the sight, having been conditioned to fear it, but Anna’s warm and steady hand on her shoulder, an encouraging force, made her keep her resolve, and Elsa concentrated just a little harder, trying to will the ice to spread just that much more further.

“You’re doing great, Elsa.” Anna breathed, warm breath ghosting against the other’s ear, as the two watched, fascinated, as the stick slowly began to change color, the white mostly keeping to what Elsa was aiming at, and very little of it spreading to the twigs and branches hanging around them.

Elsa couldn’t suppress the smile (which was slowly turning into a full grin) as the ice enveloped only the parts that she wanted it to. It was amazing, and if Anna hadn’t encouraged her, she probably would never have known herself capable of doing this.

_It’s working, I can’t believe this is actually working!_

“Oh! Anna it’s-!”

Unable to contain her excitement, she suddenly whisked around, her hand unintentionally latching onto Anna’s shoulder in her eagerness to let the princess have a better view of what her powers were accomplishing.

_“Ow!”_

Ana hissed, recoiling and clutching her suddenly burning arm.

Elsa froze, hand still in the air in front of her, cold sweat breaking out on her back and her limbs freezing to the spot where she stood as she realized what she’d actually just done.

_Oh no. No, no no! Please! Don’t tell me I’ve just-!_

But Anna’s arm clutching her shoulder was enough proof to Elsa for her to know exactly what she’d done, and even if she hadn’t meant it, it was done.

“Oh! OH! Anna! Anna I’m so sorry!” She flailed around, hands hovering over Anna’s where she still clutched her hurting shoulder, not sure whether she ought to touch or not. “Please! Please, I didn’t mean it Master!”

Anna squeezed her eyes closed as Elsa obviously lapsed back into what had been her previous mindset when she’d done something wrong. She wanted to tell her to stop, that it was all right, but it wasn’t really. Her arm was burning, it really hurt. She knew Elsa hadn’t meant it (of course she hadn’t), but it still pained her when the unwelcome spasms ran down the length of it.

“I-It’s all right-“

“No! No it’s not! I’m so sorry Master, I won’t-“

“No, Elsa-"

“Please, I’ll do anythi-“

“Elsa.”

“Please don’t send me awa-“

“Elsa.”

“I promise I’ll be good-“

_“ELSA!”_

The older girl froze, hesitating a second before daring to meet Anna’s gaze once again, fear evident in her eyes when Anna bore into them. Slowly, the princess lifted her uninjured arm, carefully resting it on the other girl’s shoulder, attempting circular motions with her thumb, hoping it would calm the other down a little.

“Nothing’s going to happen to you Elsa, I promise.” She tried soothing, which actually had the opposite effect to that she was hoping for, sending the blonde into hysterics.

“No! I hurt you! I didn’t mean to but I did! I hurt-“

“It was an _accident._ Accidents happen, Elsa.”

But accidents always entail punishment, Elsa remembered, bowing her head, knowing she could do nothing more than accept whatever Anna wanted to do to her. The other girl had never resorted to physical violence, but then, Elsa had never hurt her either, for that matter. Now she had, and Anna’s sweet personality was going to disappear, like some many masks she’d seen shed away only to be replaced with cruel reality.

She knew she shouldn’t have let her guard down, shouldn’t have given in to her impulses wanting her to trust Anna, but she had, because she’d been so tired of not being able to trust anybody, and now that mistake was going to bite her in the face. Anna was going to send her away.

“Elsa,” Anna brought her hand beneath Elsa’s chin, raising the other’s head to stare into the worried blue eyes, “Nothing is going to happen, I _promise_.”

It took a moment to sink in, but as Elsa made sens of the words, it only made her burry her face in Anna’s chest harder. She hadn’t meant for this to happen, but it did. It always did when she used her powers. Someone always ended up getting hurt. Most of the time it was herself, others using it as a means of control over her, make her fear it so much that she wouldn’t dare use it. But that was nothing when compared to the feeling of having hurt Anna. While they’d only known each other for a few weeks now, Elsa didn’t want to hurt the princess, not ever. She didn’t think she’d ever cared for someone as much as she cared for Anna. Anna was her world now, by trade and by choice. Being her servant entailed as such, but Elsa found herself drawn to the way Anna lived, she liked the younger girl’s approach at life and how she spent her days, was fascinated with her ability to always stay herself when society constantly forced masks upon each and every persons faces, and most of all, she appreciated how deeply Anna was willing to accept her, cursed powers and flaws and all.

Even now, after she’d hurt her, she wasn’t turning her away.

“T-Thank you Ma-Anna.” Elsa bowed her head, waiting for Anna’s next command, but dared to think better of it. She could make up for it, just maybe, if the younger was willing to let her, and after a short internal struggle, Elsa dared to speak up, “Maybe we should look at your wound?”

Anna smiled, helping Elsa back up to her feet, before meeting the other in the eye, still trying to keep the encouraging smile on her face, knowing Elsa needed it (and wasn’t it a princesses’ job to keep her people’s morals up no matter how much pain she was in?)

“I think that would indeed be a god idea. Follow me, we’ll surely find something in the bathroom.” And Anna led the way, only realizing after a few moments that Elsa had actually dared to suggest something. Elsa had never spoken up without really being spoken to first, and while she could probably attribute this time to the fact that she’d been hurt and that Elsa was worried for her, the fact that the blonde had shown that she was able to initiate conversation made Anna smile. Maybe something good had come out of their misfortune after all, granted that Elsa could let this tiny seed of self-confidence to make a choice grow. And if the was willing to let it, Anna wanted to be there beside her, ready to water and nurse it if ever Elsa forgot she had it.


	8. What Do You Think About Love?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna and Elsa get a little closer... Well a lot closer, actually.

Anna lead the way to the royal bathrooms as discreetly as possible, not wanting any of the palace servants to suspect anything had happened, or she knew there would be explaining to be done. And Anna really didn’t want to have to tell her parents that Elsa had hurt her. While she knew they were in no way the type of monarch that would punish someone for a scratch or a bruise, this wasn’t the same, and the princess didn’t want to risk it. Who knew how her parents would react? And besides, it surely wasn’t as bad as they would make it up to be. Sure, her arm was sore, it burnt even, but that wasn’t the point. Elsa hadn’t meant to hurt her, Anna was sure of it, it had only been a little loss of control, that’s all. It happened to everyone once in a while, didn’t it?

But while Anna tried to put up a brave façade in order to calm her servant down, hoping it might contain any impulse Elsa might get, which would urge her to use her powers inside the palace walls, it wasn’t easy. She didn’t want to fear Elsa, she didn’t want her friend to think she was scared of her and, like so many others, would now see her as some monster. But the thing was, sometimes, one’s body betrayed one’s mind, acting of it’s own accord as instincts would take over reason, and right now, Anna was still hurting too much to think clearly, and so, even though she did not see it, she kept a little distance between herself and Elsa.

The pain had almost become a throbbing sting by the time they’d finally reached the bathroom, and with a heavy sigh, Anna pushed the door open, leaning on the wall for a moment before closing it behind her, once Elsa had tentatively entered on her heels, not knowing whether she ought to stay near her master or steer clear of her after what she’d done to the other girl. Instead of hovering over her, however, Elsa thought it best if she were to remain next to the door, so that if ever Anna felt too uncomfortable with her near her, or if the princess simply did not want her around, she would be out of her sight in less than a second.

She watched, as Anna awkwardly tried to turn on the tap with one hand, going so far as to use her elbow to twist the little knobs at the base of it so that the water would start flowing. Elsa would have taken a step forward, would probably even have offered the princess a hand if she weren’t so afraid that her powers would seize the opportunity to take control of her again, and Elsa certainly did not want to risk hurting the younger girl again, especially considering that the burn on Anna’s arm was still so fresh. That would be a most reckless thing to do. Instead, Elsa took to backing up into the corner, somehow hoping the walls would swallow her whole, all the while wishing she could help Anna too, the brunet obviously having a hard time getting the water going.

Because trying to turn on a tap with only one hand was difficult, Anna soon discovered, as she found herself having to bend in some very awkward positions to try and get some kind of a grip on the metal piece. She would have called for Elsa, but decided against it at the last moment, knowing she would rather have a moment without her if it was possible.

Eventually, though, Anna thanked her stars as the water finally flowed, and she could only sigh in contentment as the steam from the warmth hit her, Anna’s tense shoulders immediately relaxing and anticipating the good the quick bath would do them.

Slipping into the water was definitely one of the best sensation Anna could swear she’d had in the past days, as it gently lapped at her skin undoing any damage her previous anxiety had built inside her.

Nothing mattered then, she wasn’t hurt, Elsa wasn’t there, her parent’s duties for her could wait… No, nothing could take away the blissful moment from her, as the princess leaned back a little, sinking slightly into the source of her bliss. The water seemed to take everything away, hurt, pain, even whatever slight fear she’d had of Elsa as she blonde had, albeit unintentionally, struck her. No, there was nothing right now, safe for her, and the pleasure the warm water lapping at her body procured her, and Anna just lay there, allowing her limbs to go numb as the warmth gradually soothed her hurting arm. No, there was nothing much to worry about after all, it would seem.

Closing her eyes, Anna made the most of the soothing water, letting her mind wander again and imagining a wonderful prince charming offering a hand up when she would open her eyes. She could imagine it, his hand taking hers, pulling her out of the water and immediately into his strong arms. It felt safe, and Anna could feel herself snuggle into the corner of the bath, as if the ceramic there were the comforting hands of the beautiful stranger that had come for her. The princess could picture him, as she leant back a little, bright blue eyes that she could almost drown in, a warm smile that would make her blush, long fingers that would give her the gentlest of touches, and when his arms wrapped themselves around her, Anna couldn’t recall having ever felt so safe in her life. She nuzzled into the stranger’s chest, bringing a hand up to take a firm hold of his back so he would not disappear on her yet, the touch returned as she felt a hand run up the long of her side, bringing her closer to the other’s body.

He would carry her then, before gently putting her on the floor, and wrapping a snug towel around her shoulder so she would not get cold, and as he made sure the fabric would not slip, Anna thought she could notice slightly slimmer hands than she’d expected, the long fingers coming up to her shoulder and massaging them, Anna automatically sighing in content as the stranger would help her release any pent up stress she might have been experiencing. The hands worked expertically , slowly releasing any tension she could have had left after the time they’d had in the water, and the princess let herself succumb to the feeling, letting go of any duties or needs she ought to be seeing to right now, just basking in the feeling of utter relaxation, a faint shiver running down her spine occasionally when the hands would get a little cold.

Anna moved slightly, the two hands continuing their ministrations on her shoulder, and the princess felt the faint touch of a lock of hair brushing against her shoulder, barely opening her eyes to see the few brown strands hang in front of her eyes before closing them again, leaning back into the mystery man’s chest, barely noticing that the broad muscles had morphed into a slightly more curvy shape. The hands on her shoulder had slimmed, slowly morphing into delicate digits slowly rubbing her skin, the faint light blue sleeves of her benefactor almost as white as the skin of her hands. Those hands couldn’t belong to a William or a Hubert, they were definitely female, and Anna didn’t mind. Instead, she pictured the rest of the body behind her, a tall girl, blonde hair brought back in a single braid, blue eyes, pale skin… And Anna bolted upright in the bath as soon as she realized who exactly she’d been picturing.

It didn’t help that Elsa barged through the bathroom doors as soon as she heard the commotion Anna was making, asking her a thousand variations of if she was all right or if she’d hurt herself, to which Anna had a hard time convincing the elder girl that she was fine, that she must have just slipped somewhere without realizing it.

It was a good thing the bathrooms were hot, so Elsa wouldn’t see her flushed face as embarrassment but rather Anna being too warm, because the princess wasn’t too sure what to make of what she’d been imagining a few moments before, and she wasn’t too sure she wanted to let Elsa in on what images her mind had conjured up, her servant would surely not appreciate her having imagined her so close to her.

“Please, Elsa, I’m all right, there’s no need to worry.”

“Are you sure?” Elsa hesitated in the doorway, trying to avert her gaze slightly, knowing she ought not to be staring at the princess, but still half reluctant to leave, wondering if Anna wasn’t concealing some kind of bruise –because whatever noise she’d heard, it would definitely have left the younger girl with at least a bruise or two. If Elsa could help Anna to dull down the small pain she might have acquired, she would rather see to it now than leave it for later. “D-Do you need help, with anything?”

Anna had been about to send Elsa away, thinking she could see to her shoulder alone, but despite the warm water lapping at her skin and soothing the burnt spot a little, it still hurt, and the princess didn’t really know what she could do to dull it down. She wasn’t too sure she wanted Elsa so close again, especially so soon after her servant had unintentionally struck her, but she would rather be with Elsa than alone, where, should she need immediate help, she could not call for anyone.

“If you could…” And Anna patted the space next to her, where, obediently, Elsa sat down on the tiled floor, her finger tracing the intricate designs there and trying to avoid looking at Anna as much as possible. But the more Elsa tried to push it away, and the more she could hear Anna’s quiet grunts as she tried to massage her hurting shoulder, the more concern washed over her, until she just couldn’t bear the silence anymore, and, a little hesitant, hoping Ana wouldn’t punish her for daring to speak first, she thought she might as well offer her help to the princess, seen as how she was there.

“Would you like me to tend to it, Anna?”

The younger girl paused at Elsa’s question, one hand still on her shoulder, and bit her lip slightly. It wasn’t that she feared the other, but what if Elsa’s powers got the better of her again? How far could it go this time?

“I promise I’ll try not to hurt you, Anna.” Elsa offered, seeing the princesses’ reluctance to let her help, no doubt because she feared a second turn of events like what had happened earlier. Truth be told, Elsa did not want such a thing to happen ever again, striking Elsa had hurt her too, she didn’t want to do it again. But she couldn’t help her powers. Even if she and Anna had been working a little to get them under control, they were still far from being mastered –and, truth be told, Elsa doubted quite strongly that she’d ever be able to master them properly.

Anna hesitated for a moment longer, wondering if letting Elsa get so close to her was a good idea or not. It wasn’t that she wanted to fear the other, and she knew Elsa hadn’t meant to strike her either, but Anna would rather not risk being hurt again. But then, she would be pushing Elsa away again, wouldn’t she? Surely her servant couldn’t hurt her that badly, could she? Hell, Anna even had the warm water all around her, so surely if Elsa accidentally struck her again without meaning it, she could use the water to tend to the hurt area, right?

Swallowing in apprehension, stiffening as she nodded to Elsa that she could come over, she waited for the older girl to sit down at the edge of the bath, going so far as to put her own legs into the water, and the blonde brought a shaking hand to Anna’s shoulder. It stayed there for a moment, hovering over the wet skin, debating whether it ought to actually touch it or not, and eventually, Elsa decided to go for it, that she owed it to Anna to try and make it better, and, gently, she put her hand on the slick skin beneath, the cold immediately diffusing into Anna’s numb shoulder and, mixed with the warm water it had been previously been bathing in, it was brought to a perfect temperature for the princess. Anna could only sigh in contentment and lean back, letting Elsa massage the injured spot beside her.

“Would the water not help it a little?” Elsa offered after a while, knowing that while her powers could help dull the burn, it wouldn’t help the skin around the wound to soften, warm water would be better suited for that.

“You’re probably right.” Anna chuckled, taking her feet out of the water and going to unbutton her dress, stopping at the last moment however when she could still see Elsa watching her in the corner of her eye, her servant probably not too sure if she ought to help her or not.

“Would you mind…?” She gestured to the wall, knowing she would rather not undress before the blonde _quite yet,_ because as much as Anna loved spending time around Elsa, she had to admit that they probably hadn’t reached that stage of intimate yet, and Anna certainly didn’t want to rush things between them for fear of having Elsa turn away from her for good. The blonde had been doing remarkably well up ‘till now when it came to opening up a little and giving her opinion when she was talked to, and Anna certainly didn’t want to destroy that with taking a step further in their relation, not yet anyway.

Flushing bright pink, Elsa turned around, Anna noticing the other nervously entertaining her fingers to focus on something other than her. Anna smiled, Elsa was really something, her Father couldn’t have offered her a better birthday gift. Quickly, she shed whatever clothing she had on her, and carefully entered the bath, hesitating a moment before putting her arm into the water, hissing as her shoulder came into contact with the warm liquid. It stung, really stung, and while Anna did her best not to let the pains show hoping the warmth would soothe it somehow. Indeed it did, for after several moments where she dared not move due to the pain, Anna finally felt the sting starting to ebb away slightly, and she sighed in relief as she could once again relax, leaning her head against the edge of the tub, once again basking in the utter comfort of warmth and the company Elsa was providing her.

“Can I turn around now?” Elsa asked, still facing the wall, knowing she ought not to turn around before Anna was ready.

But the princess invited her back over to the edge of the tub, where Elsa settled herself once more, daring to put her cold toes in the warm water as a means to get slightly closer to Anna.

“Is it any better?” She asked hopefully, for Elsa was terribly sorry for hurting her Master, she had not meant it, nor the flash of fear that had subsequently followed, but she’d seen it, and although she could not know whether Anna was still slightly scared of her, she could only hope that her Master was not, for if she was, how would Elsa be able to perform her duty as a servant if she could not get near her Master?

“The water’s doing it good, you have no idea!” Anna laughed, looking back up and noticing the relieved expression Elsa dared to show, glad that she’d been able to relieve some of the tension that had been choking the blonde. If only she could get Elsa to relax completely…

They stayed like that, in companionable silence for a while, Anna sinking a little more into the water and Elsa just content on looking over her, making sure Anna wouldn’t end up drowning herself if she relaxed too much. Any tension that there had previously been between them seemed to vanish like the steam from the water, and Elsa found herself smiling, as she too in the different strands of color that seemed to make up Anna’s hair. She’d assumed the princess was a brunet, for she had never been able to get close enough to her to actually get a close look, but now, as she found herself studying the princess, she truly was amazed at all the different colors she could see there. She’d never met anybody in her life that was this unique, the exotic slaves she might have crossed on one of her long journeys not even coming close to Anna.

“Have you ever thought about love, Elsa?” Anna suddenly asked, unable to keep her own musings to herself now that she had someone to share them with. “You know, dreamt of finding someone you know was the right person for you, someone special, someone-someone you just want to make happy and spend your life with? You know, like all those tales of prince charmings and brave knights in shining armors that all the lovely ladies always fall in love with?”

Elsa wasn’t too sure what to answer. Sure, she’d heard a little about those stories by other girls whom she’d crossed in the villages she’d stayed in, but not as Anna was implying it. She’d never had a mother who read her stories by the fire of damsels in distress getting rescued by dashing men on their white horses, she’d never had friends with whom she could giggle and talk about her perfect dashing hero who would come to save her from the clutches of an evil lord, she’d never had a sister with whom she could share all these tales of bards, knights, and kings until late into the night when they would be supposed to be sleeping. No, Elsa had grown up too quickly, the cruelties of the world and the corruption of men having brought her up and forced her to leave behind whatever childhood she might have wanted, which included forgetting about all those stories and whatever fantasies she could have had with them.

“No, Anna, I haven’t, I’m afraid. I never had an opportunity to learn how to read, and nobody ever had the time to spare for me to tell me a story like that.”

Anna stilled in the water, a wave of sadness overcoming her at the realization of what Elsa had missed out on during her childhood. Well, there was nothing to be done about it now, those past years could neither be changed nor regained, and Anna could only make do with whatever time they had ahead of them.

“What do you think falling in love is like, then?” And Anna was genuinely interested in the answer. All of her noble friends would usually come up with the same answer, the childish fantasy they’d been brought up on forging itself into a picture of the man they wished to marry. Not having been brought up in such a way, maybe Elsa’s view on the matter was different? Did she even believe in love, though?

“I-I’m not too sure.”

Truth be told, Elsa had never really had a moment to spare a thought on the matter, too busy was she trying to make sure she didn’t starve to death by doing the best she could to see to her Master’s request. Sometimes, long ago, she might have dreamt of being rescued by a beautiful man, who would have whisked her away on his white horse and would have saved her from the misery her life had become, but she’d waited, and waited, and waited, and it was only after a few years of servitude, where she’d had to mature into an adult she would not have supposed to have been at that age, that she’d understood that Prince Charming was only a fairy tale, he wasn’t real, and there was no use trying to convince herself that anybody would ever help her out of her life.

“You never imagined running off with a handsome stranger?” Anna turned around, eyes wide in shock at the mere idea that a girl had never had such a fantasy. Why, each of her friends had always been so excited to talk about it, and they’d all said it was a common thing for a girl to dream of! Shouldn’t the concept also have applied to slaves too, then? “Never imagined what falling in love could be like?”

Elsa shook her head, “No, I always though love was something like your mother looking after you, kissing your knee when you skinned it, calling you to her to give you an extra apple, carrying you home when you were too tired to do it yourself… At least, that’s what the mothers for their children in some of the villages I’ve been through. Is that not love? Showing you care for someone dear to you?”

“That’s motherly love, Elsa.” Anna tried to explain, Elsa obviously not knowing much about real love, the feeling of attraction two souls could feel for each other, when they cared about the other’s wellbeing and wanted to see them happy. “Being _in love_ with someone, that’s a little different. In love means you care for them, you want to make them happy, you… uhh, this is so hard to explain.” Anna chuckled, glad to see Elsa joining in.

Elsa was pretty when she chuckled, all the lines of pain she sometimes displayed on her face seemed to vanish, letting Anna see the small child there that had never been allowed to express itself or take a few moments for itself, and the princess liked it, it was cute. And without even thinking twice, Anna leaned upwards to catch Elsa’s lips with her own, giving the blonde a sweet kiss.

Elsa’s eyes shot wide open at the foreign sensation, but she dared not inch back, for fear that Anna would part from her. Something in what Anna was doing to her was electrifying, it woke up emotions in her she didn’t even know she had, since this was something nobody had ever done to her, and, desperate for the bit of love, Elsa tentatively kissed back, not too sure if it was her want to return the feeling to Anna or the fact that she felt it was normal to do so that prevailed. But she liked it. Anna blushed as their lips parted, looking up at Elsa with a grin, which only widened when she saw the blonde smiling back at her.

“That’s love, you show people you care about them.”

“Y-You mean, you l-love me?” Elsa asked, taken aback, as she inched slightly backwards, not too sure what to do with all of these new emotions right now.

“I care about you, a lot.” Anna admitted, leaning on the floor at the tub’s edge, resting her head on her arms, “And I want to show you that I care for you, really care for you.” Elsa had probably been lied to, had probably been told that people cared about her when it wasn’t true, when they would just turn on her and show their true colors, and Anna wanted to show Elsa that she wasn’t like those people. When she loved someone, she meant it, and she showed it. She loved her parents, she loved Sven, she loved Kristoff, she loved a lot of people, and it was only right to let them know they were both loved and worthy of love, wasn’t it?

“Here, would you join me?” Anna suggested, patting the water beside her as an invitation for Elsa to get a little closer to her, that it was okay, she wasn’t going to hurt her.

Elsa hesitated for a moment, and when Anna caught on the other’s desire to undress without her eyeing her body, Anna turned away. It only took a few moments for Elsa to join her, and while Anna still couldn’t understand where the cold that seemed to have permanently taken residence in the other’s body came from, she was relieved when she noticed it seemed to have been noticeable less harsh than earlier, only a mild chill coursing through her fingers as she took hold of Elsa’s hand now instead of the shivers she’d previously had.

“Come here.” She chuckled, catching Elsa in an embrace, wrapping her arms around the other’s slimmer body and drawing herself up to the blonde’s face. They looked at each other then, the princess searching for any trace of panic in her servant, and Elsa loosing herself in what was becoming her safe haven in the world, and when Anna leaned forward slightly, her body didn’t even instinctively flinch back. Instead, Elsa felt her heart thumping wildly in her chest, something completely foreign to her, and the thrill of the moment won over whatever possible fear she might have had, as, instead of inching backwards, she felt herself move forwards, until a soft pair of lips fell upon her own, and the sparks flew. If this was what love felt like, Elsa’s heart almost ached at the thought of having missed out on the feeling for so many years, and it only served to make her respond to Anna, leaning in a little more, desperate to get the most out of this wonderful emotion the princess had introduced her to, and she could feel Anna smiling against her lips.

Spurred on by the feeling that someone finally wanted her enough to show it to her, Elsa leaned up, capturing Anna’s lips in her own and pushing the princess slightly until Anna hit the back of the tub, Elsa desperate t show that Anna’s feeling were returned. Anna was the only one to have ever shown her that she was loved, and Elsa was certainly not about to have it go one way, she had to show Anna that she cared just as much about what happened to her Master. She could feel Anna’s arms wrapping themselves around her middle, bringing them impossibly closer, the princess hugging her close as she continued to devour her mouth in an act of affection, and the warmth that Elsa felt seeping through her body was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. It was wonderful. And It was all thanks’ to Anna, because Anna was showing her that she loved her.

Anna was slightly surprised at Elsa’s fervent return of the kiss, not having expected her to display such fierceness given the fact that…Well, her previous experiences of the type had probably not been the most joyful, but the fact that Elsa felt safe enough to let her emotions and feeling spur her into showing what she felt made Anna happy, happy that the mask of indifference that Elsa had forced herself to wear was now crumbling away, leaving in its stead a girl, who, just like her, was able to show that she could also love in return.

And right now, Anna didn’t think there was anyone she loved more in the world than Elsa.


	9. Happy Birthday, Elsa

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa experiences her first birthday.

Three full months had gone by since Anna had shared her first kiss with a girl, and while she’d initially feared that she might regret it, Elsa had proven her the exact contrary, as, each day would only make her grow more fond of the blonde.

Elsa had truly settled into the castle routing, and while her parents still gently chastised her when the blonde insisted on referring to them by their formal titles, Elsa had practically been drawn into the castle daily life, and, much more importantly, was now an integrant part of her own, and Anna wasn’t about to let go of her. But the best out of all that was that, after a lot of work and a few relapses, Elsa had finally dared to open herself more, and was no longer answering questions with a simple _yes_ or _no,_ she’d actually found a passion to share in any kind of discussion with her (or anyone, to be honest, the servants of the household had all taken a liking to the blonde too), and it was with delight that Anna could say that she’d finally managed to crumble the remains of the shell Elsa had built around her. The blonde might still be a little shy around people she didn’t know or wasn’t too familiar with, but when comparing her state now to that in which she was when her parents had first offered her to her as a gift, Elsa was certainly a million times better, and a million times more happier, as the blonde never ceased to tell her whenever she got the chance.

And, quite frankly, Anna was delighted that she’d been able to offer a better life to someone with such simple things.

Which was one of the reasons why she’d asked Elsa when her birthday was, so she could have the chance to offer another little gift, just something she knew would make the blonde smile, because when Elsa smiled, the little butterflies that fluttered in her chest were the most amazing things Anna had ever experienced, and if she could feel it again day after day, well she certainly wouldn’t complain. Elsa was most definitely the best thing that had happened to her, and Anna wasn’t about to let the blonde not know how thankful she was that she had been brought here.

So when Elsa had told her she couldn’t remember, that it had been so long since someone had remembered it that she’d eventually forgotten, Anna’s heart fell.

“Are you sure? There isn’t even the smallest thing you remember? A date? Something outside? Some feeling you might have had waking up in the morning?” Anna pushed, knowing that she always had her heart beating a mile a minute on her birthday, that she didn’t even have to remember the event in itself for her body and feelings to let her know that the day was special.

“N-No, not really. My birthday isn’t important when it comes to what I do, I’ve been told it’s best to forget it, because knowing I might be missing out on something will only affect my performance in what’s asked of me.” Elsa recited, as if it had been some kind of lessons she’d been taught long ago, in a childhood where she ought to have been allowed to play, instead of being forced to grow up and bear responsibilities she shouldn’t have.

Anna sighed. Maybe Elsa wanted nothing to do with a celebration, but, well, she was the Master, she got the final decision. And Anna wanted to celebrate. She liked parties, parties were fun, parties brought people together, parties allowed people to let others know they were cared for and remembered.

Abruptly, Anna stood up from the sofa they had been sharing in the grand living room, heading for the door without a word, a quick motion of her arm towards Elsa letting the older girl know the princess wished her to accompany her.

The abrupt change had unsettled Elsa, for never had she seen Anna look so blank in the time they’d spent together, and as she quietly followed her mistress, careful to keep a respectful distance between them all the same (so the other servants of the castle wouldn’t see her close relationship to Anna as some kind of taunting from her part), she couldn’t help but feel a little anxious about what exactly Anna was planning.

But she could trust Anna, couldn’t she? The princess had told her she cared about her, she’d even _shown_ her how much she mattered, surely, Elsa could will herself to believe that, of all people, Anna would be the last one to lie to her or pull a bad joke on her, right?

“Where are we going?” She still asked all the same, curious as to where Anna might be bringing her. Elsa didn’t know her way around Arendelle very well yet -to be quite honest, she doubted she’d even be able to find her way back to Kristoff’s bakery without getting lost once or twice along the way-, but Anna said nothing, kept pulling her down the crowded streets, grinning as the people bowed their heads respectfully to her as they past them by.

That was another thing Elsa still couldn’t get over, how royalty in Arendelle was something completely unique to what she’d seen or heard before.

She’d often been with other slaves, when her Master would go from one town to another and would parade them down like animals he hoped to get a fair price out of. Some of the older women she’d had the chance to know a little better before a new Master came and claimed them, would sometimes talk to her about how they saw the world, how those they loved had forsaken them and never sought out to buy them back, and soon their hopelessness had turned to anger. Anger against those they once cared for. Anger against the Masters who would barely feed them and clothe them decently. Anger against those in power who allowed such trade to continue and who used the situation to their advantage instead of thinking for one moment about how miserable the life of a slave truly was.

Elsa had wanted to be angry at the King, angry at him for legalizing what had turned a good part of her life into a living Hell she’d dreamed to find a way out of every day. And yet, he’d been the one to rescue her from her predicament, funny how the World worked, sometimes. And unlike what she’d been told, of the King as a ruthless tyrant who enjoyed causing pain and suffering to those who wished only for freedom, he was nothing of the sort. If anything, he and his wife, while she had not got to spend much time with them (Anna had made quite sure Elsa kept busy for her with the few tasks she gave her running errands for her around the castle), had only been accepting, encouraging, kind even.

And Anna, well Anna was something else entirely, and Elsa found herself smiling fondly at the thought.

To a stranger, Anna would just appear like an eager child, someone who always tried to see the best in people and who always saw the bright things in life, she definitely wasn’t the strict princess Elsa had firstly feared her to be, and thank the Gods for that.

After everything she’d been through, Elsa had never expected to be able to love someone again, she’d thought herself too broken to be able to offer love from her shattered self, and on her darkest days, she would admit that she certainly was not about to love any form of royalty. Yet she had learnt to love, and she had learnt to love royalty, despite Anna and her family having an indirect hand in what had happened to her. And while Elsa knew the scars on her body would probably always be with her, would always haunt her on the days she wouldn’t be able to put up a fight against the darkest of her memories, she couldn’t bring herself to fault the princess and her family for it.

“You’ll see! I can’t tell you though, or it won’t be a surprise!” Anna laughed, tugging on her hand and pulling her down the street again, the princesses’ enthusiasm contagious, as Elsa soon found a little bubble of excitement growing in her chest. How was it that Anna always managed to bring out such happiness in her when Elsa had found it so hard to express a smile only a few months prior? Whatever it was, she knew she would never be able to thank the princess enough for it.

Being lighter in weight than the princess herself still, Elsa barely had time to register what Anna had said before the younger girl pulled her arm and started running, excitement all but radiating off her. It took a second for Elsa to follow, but when she too started running, feeling the wind fly though her hair, catching the confused faces of the citizens who moved out of their way to let them pass, and when she gripped Anna’s hand just a little tighter so she would be sure not to let go, Elsa found herself laughing alongside the princess, Anna’s contagious happiness hitting her full force as she tried to keep up.

So what if people looked at them like two little children running after a lost puppy? So what if it wasn’t what was expected of s princess and her servant? Elsa thought, right now, she and Anna were happy, and it was all that mattered to them.

The brightly painted shops passed by them in a blur, the people just a blotch of color they barely had time to register as the two kept running, hand linked together and laughter trailing behind them letting the people around them know that both princess and servant were enclosed in a little bubble of happiness they could not enter nor understand, but they smiled fondly none the less, as their excited little princess shared her never-ending good humor and cheerfulness with them. Anna was sure to make them happy if she could always spare a laugh to contribute to the good atmosphere in the city of Arendelle.

It was out of breath that Anna finally stopped, Elsa almost awkwardly crashing into her from behind, only managing to steady herself by gripping the princesse’s shoulders. The younger girl looked over her shoulder, the mischievous grin all that was needed to set the two off laughing, and Anna’s laugh was music to Elsa’s ears, the blonde knowing she would definitely like to hear more of it.

“Are we there yet?” Elsa asked between two breath, hands on her knees as she tried to steady the wild beating of her heart.

“Aye, look!” Anna put a hand on her back as she straightened up again, and Elsa gaped at the huge sign over their heads. Unfortunately, she could not read, but the beautiful lettering above their head on the small panel above the shop and the incredible number of different types of fabrics she could see through the window was enough for her to know that they’d stopped at some kind of tailor’s.

Everything looked sparkling from out here, the light filtering in from behind them making some of the clothes look even prettier than they must be, and Elsa stared, transfixed, at the amount of colors she could see. She didn’t think she’d ever had a moment to take in such a variation of red or green hues, and each new color she spotted was almost prettier than the last one.

“Wow,” she breathed in awe, “There’s so many colors, Anna.”

“Hey, but we’re not here to stare at them, noodlehead,” Anna teased, “Come on in!” She nodded towards the door, and held it open for Elsa as she let the two of them inside.

Obliging, Elsa took a step towards the threshold.

“Wait.”

She barely had a moment to ask why Anna had asked her as such when she blinked in surprise as the princess leaned up slightly and kissed the tip of her nose, Elsa’s face flushing red as she did so.

“ _Now_ we can go!” Anna winked, ushering her inside when it seemed like Elsa was stuck to her spot on the ground.

Inside, Elsa was pleasantly surprised with how warm she felt (not that she could only feel cold, of course, but still, the colors definitely had some kind of warmth spreading through her chest), and eventually linked it to the red and orange colors that decorated the walls in various different kind of motifs, each one more elegant than the other.

It was quiet, and Elsa was glad that there wasn’t too many people around them, the blonde still not really liking being around strangers yet, she really didn’t want to hurt them by accident. Discreetly, she followed Anna as the princess went down one aisle of clothes and looked from left to right, probably searching for someone.

“Gerda!”

Movement to her left caught her eye, and Elsa peeked over the princess’s shoulder, staring at the curious old lady who appeared from behind the counter to the far right of the room, the old wrinkled face looking oddly beautiful as it lit up at the sight of her master.

“Princess Anna! What brings you here?”

“We’re looking for a dress, and… well I was hoping you could help us?” Anna asked innocently, the puppy-dog eyes certainly not lost on the seller at the desk, who rolled her eyes fondly at her young client’s antiques.

“What would your Heighness be needing, on such a fine day?” She asked, as she awkwardly managed to get out from behind the counter, her generous shape not the handiest to go about between slightly tight spaces, but Elsa found it only made her look kinder.

“We’re in search of a dress, a nice one now.” Anna added, winking at the shopkeeper as she nodded back to Elsa, hoping her friend Gerda would get the drift.

It took the old lady a moment, but then she was nodding fervently, glad to be on board with Anna’s idea. “Oh! I see, I see, well, come with me then, I’ll surely have _something_ here you’ll like!” And her old wrinkled fingers, a testament of her years in the job, ushered the two girls back to the infinite wracks of items she had to offer, the old woman weaving her way through like one would in a second home (it was probably safe to say that Gerda knew the layout of her shop by heart, by now), Anna and Elsa following behind her, the former trying to keep up while attempting to get a small peek at all the different kinds of fabric the woman had for sale. She’d never seen so many of them, that was certain.

Anna watched, smiling, as Gerda showed Elsa through the materials she had to offer, explaining how this color would bring out her eyes or how that material was more comfortable to wear, her servant a little loss with all the talk, for Elsa had probably never been brought out to get clothes of her own. It was cute, she thought, seeing the blonde awkwardly stretch out her arms for the old shopkeeper to measure, and then the two would bend down to look at the different colors, Gerda careful to ask Elsa what one _she_ wished for when the blonde bit her lip, saying maybe Anna would be better suited to chose.

And while the older girl was slightly hesitant at first, Gerda’s charming personality quickly won her over, and Anna took it as a small victory that this was one of the first people outside herself, her parents and Kristoff Elsa had been so natural around. Maybe she ought to do this more often, she thought, getting Elsa out and unconsciously talking with strangers seemed to be the best way to show her that not everybody was out to hurt her.

Besides, she’d known Gerda long enough to be sure the old woman wouldn’t dare hurt a fly.

And not only was this helping Elsa open herself up and make her own choice, but Anna was also glad to notice that these were among the first clothes that Elsa was going to have for herself, not old clothes that no longer fitted Anna. These would be chosen and bought for Elsa, would be her choice and would be hers right when they would walk out the doors of the shop. She knew Elsa hadn’t dared ask for much, and Anna was grateful to her for not doing so, even after they’d gotten considerably closer, but Elsa had a right to wish for things too, even if she was a servant, and making her unconsciously make a choice seemed like the best way to do so, right now at least. Give it a few years, her Mother had told her, and hopefully Elsa would grow into someone much more secure.

Anna watched form where she stood, as the old woman and Elsa lost themselves in what she could only guess was a discussion on color and fabric, and it thrilled her to see that Elsa seemed to have found a subject to talk about _so much_. True, the blonde was almost over giving short answer and not daring to add anything more when one spoke to her, but she’d only very rarely seen her so open, and for Gerda to manage that feat on one of their first encounters, Anna couldn’t help be be slightly envious of the older woman, even though it was the effect she had on everybody who entered their shop.

She could hear them, Elsa asking questions like “What is this one made of?” or “Whare do you get fabrics like this?” and Gerda walking back and forward with answers like “Oh, this shape will suit you perfectly.” and “Oh, nonono, the laced sleeves will only make you look old, sweetie! Try this!” And Anna gave up trying to follow their conversation after a while, preferring to sit down and give her slightly dizzy head a rest.

“Princess?”

Anna shook her head, realizing she must have dozed off slightly in her seat, as she saw Gerda waving a hand in front of her face, the kind smile never disappearing.

“Yes, Gerda?”

“Would your Heighness wish to give me a hand?”

_A hand?_ Anna wondered, but soon found out why after she rose up.

Elsa’s back was turned to her, and the back of the dress, which was still open, needed to be laced up if Gerda wanted to be able to assert whether it truly fit or not. Not needing to be asked twice, Anna leapt on the occasion to be able to help, and, gently, she took the two strings in her hand, carefully threading them through the little holes that were designed for them.

Nothing was said, nothing needed to be said, truly, and Anna enjoyed the task. Elsa’s skin was soft, despite the white scars she could see there. A few months ago, she knew the blonde would not have wished for such a revealing attire, but the fact that Elsa had chosen it of her own free will, that Anna had not needed to have a say in the matter, it made her happy, and maybe, just maybe, it meant that Elsa was slowly healing, accepting that the scars were there and would not go away, and instead of sacrificing things she would have liked for the sake of hiding them, she was willing to bear them to the world, let everybody see that she had survived what had been thrown at her and was now making the most of her life with Anna.

The improvement had the princess smile, her delicate fingers continuing to close the gown from bottom to top.

“The fit suits you very well, Elsa.” She murmured, putting her head on the other’s shoulder.

“Well, Gerda is the one you should thank, she’s the one who found it.” Elsa offered, still not completely out of the mindset that she always owed her benefactor a tank you (not that she saw Gerda as such, it was just the remains of what she had been used to for so long), and, well, Gerda was the one who had put a hand on the splendid dress for her.

“There, all done.”

Elsa looked up at the mirror across from her, not recognizing the girls who stared back at her. Seeing herself in such luxurious clothing was still a foreign feeling to her, even though she liked it very much, and she couldn’t help but gap in awe at how… well pretty it looked on. She’d never truly felt pretty, not until Anna had made her realize that maybe she had some prettiness inside too, but she was glad Anna had taught her to see beyond the scars and the ugliness, that the princess had shown her that the world wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it to be. And the dress wasn’t as bad as she’d feared it might look once it was on her at all, to be honest.

Elsa smiled, this was the first time she’d truly felt pretty in a dress, a dress that she had carefully chosen and looked at, a dress that was something she wished for and not something someone had chosen for her, something that came from her inside, and not from someone making the choice for her. And looking at the dress with that mindset, she noticed the small details, like how the light blue color made her eyes look bigger, how the long sleeves hid away the thin arms beneath that had yet still to get back to a normal size (indeed, Elsa was glad to be able to not fear going hungry, but years of starvation had not let the princess’s ministrations fully heal the weight that had been lost yet, but it would come, Elsa thought), and how, to any stranger she might meet, she was just Elsa, princess Anna’s servant. They wouldn’t see the scars, they wouldn’t know where she had come from, they wouldn’t be able to judge her by taking a glimpse at her body.

And it felt good, being able to finally become someone else, become Elsa, and leave behind the useless slave brat that couldn’t defend herself.

“Oh, oh it’s wonderful Miss Gerda!” And without letting her brain stop her from following her impulses, Elsa fully embraced the older woman _, thank yous_ and _it’s beautiful_ and more _thank yous_ blabbering form her lips as she tightened her arms around the chuckling woman.

 “I’m glad you like it, Miss Esla.” Gerda laughed, gently stroking the blonde hair beneath her fingers. That was her job after all, and when she satisfied a client, well Gerda couldn’t be anything else but happy. She looked to the princess, catching her grin of approval, and smiled back at the young woman. Anna was always so easy to please, it was what made her so likable.

Putting some distance between herself and her client, Gerda sighed contentedly “Well, I think we’ve made our choice, Anna.”

“I think so too, and I like it!” Anna added, pulling what money she had brought with her to pay the old woman, stopping Elsa as soon as the blonde protested, saying she could spend the money on something else. No, she wouldn’t, Anna wanted to spend it on Elsa, and nobody else. Her servant wasn’t about to make her change her mind, no matter how cute she looked when she pouted.

After deliberating whether Elsa ought to wear the new dress home, the blonde chose to stay in it, Miss Gerda offering them a bag to put the blonde’s other garment in for easier transport for their way back to the castle, and after bidding them good day, the two went out, Anna gently closing the door behind her.

“Y-You really didn’t have to do that for me, Anna.” Elsa said timidly after a while, when the two had started walking again.

“No, I know I didn’t. But a birthday without any gifts isn’t much of a birthday, is it?”

Elsa looked down, not really knowing what she could answer to that, after all, she had not many memories of any happy birthday she might have had in a distant past.

“And by the way-“ Anna added quickly, making her turn back to the princess.

And before Elsa could even take a step back, Anna’s lips met her own, the princess giving her another small gift, and while it might not mean much to the next passer-by, to Elsa, this was the best birthday she’d ever had, and well intent to thank Anna for it, she kissed her back. And kissing the princess back was a wonderful birthday present indeed.


	10. One Step At A Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna helps Elsa gain a little more confidence, and the two end up benefiting from Elsa's powers.

It was bright that morning, Anna noticed, when she stretched her sore arms. Bright usually meant it would be sunny, which was good. Anna loved sunny days, where she could spend as long as she wanted outdoors, out of the castle, and, most of all, show Elsa around, because there was still a lot around Arendelle she’d not shown her friend yet.

She looked down slightly, when she felt a weight on her shoulder, only to realize that Elsa must have curled into her somehow during the night. Truth be told, Anna didn’t mind, and instead, she wrapped an arm around the other’s waist, bringing the older girl closer to her, smiling as Elsa sighed happily, before nuzzling into her neck once more, not once waking in the process.

Anna didn’t dare take her eyes away, still in awe as the morning sun seemed to make Elsa’s hair shine, the beautiful silver strands almost sparkling as the combed her fingers through it. They were soft, smooth, so different from her wild mane, the princess reflected, as she tried to imagine what state she must be in, and Anna couldn’t help but be envious of the other. It was odd, to envy a servant who’d never known any of the luxuries she’d so casually grown up in, but Anna still wished she was more like Elsa, In some way.

Oh her fascination with her servant had been noticed all right, Anna would have to be deaf if she were to say that she hadn’t heard all the gossip that went about town about her and Elsa, but the princess didn’t really mind. The people liked her and her family, they would not seek harm upon her or her parents, besides, as far as Anna could tell, her Father was a good monarch, she’d never really seen anyone disappointed in the way he ruled, so why would the people look to embarrass her family by exposing her close relationship with Elsa anyway?

They liked Elsa too. The men always had a smile for her and the women always asked them both how they were doing when they went down town, and it made Anna warm inside, at the thought that Elsa was liked by so many, for she certainly hoped Elsa would stay with her for another long, long time. Elsa was special to her. While her father had certainly not counted on them developing such a close relationship, Anna knew she would never be able to thank him enough for the friend he had given her. Admittedly, Elsa had been bought, and it had been expected of her to be agreeable around Anna, but the princess had tried to make the other feel as welcome and free as possible, she did not wish to grant her freedom just yet, the thought of Elsa walking out of her life as soon as what she undoubtedly wished for was too painful, but the blonde seemed to have come around in the end. Elsa had been tense around her at the start, Anna could recall several incidents during which she would have had to coax the older girl into adopting what she (Anna) viewed as a normal behavior, and even with the few setbacks and occasional trips, Anna was glad to see that Elsa was much more at ease now, be it around her or any person in general.

And the fact that Elsa had let her get so close to her was definitely a bonus.

The quiet moan was the only warning that she had before Anna looked down to see the blue orbs she’d come to love so much staring back up at her. She thought she could definitely wake up like this every day, after a moment of reflection.

“Sleep well?” She managed to ask around a yawn, Anna was not particularly what was referred to as a “morning person”.

Elsa simply nodded, not feeling like talking this early just yet, clutching Anna’s waist as she nuzzled into the princesses’ side once more.

“Hey!” Anna chuckled, “We can’t stay like this all day now. As much as I love waking up next to you, I thought that we were going to try and see if we couldn’t work a little on controlling your powers again today, unless you don’t want to, of course.”

Elsa tensed up slightly. Anna was right, they had been talking about trying to get those ice powers under control again, but each time Anna had tried to bring it up, Elsa had deviated the conversation, as she was unwilling to try again, the memories of what had happened last time still to fresh in her mind, and Elsa did most certainly not want to hurt Anna again. The princess had let it pass once, and they had manage to hide the fact that it had happened from the King and Queen, but if she hurt her again? Even if it was entirely unintentional, Elsa knew Anna wouldn’t be so kind.

She could feel the cold coil around her limbs at the mere thought of having to try and get them under control again, the unwelcomed decrease in temperature sending shivers up her spine. Elsa moved back an inch, not wanting any harm to come to Anna and shook her head.

“I’d rather not, not after what happened last time, if it’s all right, Anna.”

Anna sighed, biting her lip. She didn’t want to have to push the other, especially given the fact that Elsa was rather reluctant to have anything to do with her powers, but it needed to be done. If she couldn’t control them, no matter how nice she may be to everybody, Elsa was still a source of potential harm, and while things were rather quiet in the kingdom for now, if ever any visiting dignitaries came to visit and Elsa ended up hurting them, Anna didn’t even want to think about the damage it would do to the relationship between her father and said kingdom, let alone what it could entail for the citizens of Arendelle. She did not want to risk a confrontation in which the people would have no other choice but to consent to fight, not if she could help it. And getting Elsa’s powers under control was something she’d gradually understood to be essential.

Besides, last time it had been going smoothly, until Elsa had lost her balance. Surely, given a little time and practice, they would manage, wouldn’t they? And Elsa wasn’t alone to deal with them anymore either.

But she didn’t want to force Elsa to use them with for only intention to get them under control, she had to make it out like there was something else at hand than the urgency of Elsa getting the ice under control. Forcing her wasn’t going to work, it would probably only remind Elsa of the countless people she would have been with prior to coming to the castle, who, Anna could guess, had probably not spent the time to actually try and help the blonde deal with her powers but had rather ordered her to keep them hidden because they afraid of them, because they feared what they didn’t know.

Anna, however, was ready to put up with the failures and the countless setbacks they would go through, they had all the time in the world for that, she had time to spend with Elsa to help her along, but she couldn’t help the older girl if the blonde was not first willing to help herself. Elsa had to be ready to try again and to fail and stumble along the way if she wanted to hope to gain full control over her powers eventually. At least, Anna hoped that was how it would work, she’d never met anybody capable of wielding any kind of powers in her life yet, Elsa was her first encounter.

“Don’t you want to give it a little try?” Anna encouraged, still trying to smile warmly at the other, her Mother having told her that a smile was sometimes what helped the reluctant person agree with you, especially if it let them know that you were not about to harm them for their disagreement but rather let them know that you were ready to talk about _why_ they disagreed instead.

“I-I don’t know Anna, last time I could have really hurt you very badly. I really don’t want to have it happen again.” Elsa didn’t dare look up, instead focusing on how her knuckles had gone white as she clutched the bed sheet to her chest. She was grateful towards Anna that the princes was willing to put her personal time in which she could undoubtedly find many things she would like to do aside for her, to help her, but Elsa didn’t want to risk it, _couldn’t_ risk it. Once had been enough, if she were to hurt Anna again, she would be banished from the castle for good, and besides, the longer she ignored her powers, the better. Sometimes, ignoring them was good, as Elsa could almost feel normal, as if they weren’t there at all, and occasionally, she could fall into the blissful mindset that they didn’t even exist, that they never had and never would, and those were the days she liked the most, when she could feel like everybody else and view herself as a normal person like the next woman or child she would cross in the street, not some power-wielding freak.

Anna sighed. She understood the other’s reservations, she really did, but Elsa had to do something about it, running away from the problem wouldn’t make it better, if anything, she’d always been taught that ignoring a problem only ever made it worse, and she really didn’t want to have Elsa live in constant fear of something that surely couldn’t be that bad. Which child had not ever wished it could use magic?

“Don’t you want to at least give it a try?” She tried encouraging, “It’ll never get better if we just leave it to fester inside. Last time we tried you were doing great until you lost your concentration. I’m sure that if we work at it, you’ll control them eventually, Elsa.”

She hoped she wasn’t sounding too pushy, knowing it could very-well put Elsa off trying entirely, but she wasn’t about to give in to resignation. Elsa had powers, and now was her chance to try and control them. Maybe it was a little late, maybe it would be more difficult than had she been offered help as a child, maybe there would be bumps and bruises along the way, but Ana conceded that they could at least _try_. What was there to lose in trying anyway?

If Elsa were given a choice, she would much rather return under the covers and snuggle up to Anna’s side right now, forget all this talk about powers and control and just keep on sleeping like nothing mattered. But Anna was her Master still, and while she had not expressively said so, the older girl got the hint that Anna wanted her to agree to trying out her powers again, no matter how politely Anna was trying to be about it. Elsa really didn’t want to have anything to do with them, especially around Anna where she could risk hurting her once more, but the thought of disappointing her Master when she had only asked nicely about it didn’t sit very well with her.

“I-I really don’t want to hurt you again, Anna.” She protested weakly, but already she knew that the princess was going to win the argument, and she was going to have to deal with the terror that came with wielding the ice and snow sooner rather than later then.

“You won’t, I know you won’t. Come on!” Anna said, as she rose up from the bed and headed towards somewhere where she could dress privately, leaving the room for Elsa, but not before giving the blonde a quick kiss on the nose, making the older girl blush.

Still abiding to Elsa’s wishes though, Anna did bring them to a place safe from the eyes of the commoners and where very little people tended to come through, and Elsa was grateful for it, she did not wish for the citizens of Arendelle to actually see what kind of creature she was, for while she already knew the names and jeers that would come along with the discovery, she did not wish to endure it again. She followed the princess as they first exited the walls around the city, nodding respectfully to the guards on duty as they passed the gates, and waving to the children that called out to them, Elsa noticing that they did not seem scared of her as they beamed when she timidly returned their greeting.

She listened to Anna as they went along, the princess telling her about how the young smith’s son, Ruben, had once wished to offer her a gift and had given her (rather clumsily too, apparently) one of his small pair of leather gloves hoping it might please her, not realizing that Anna’s hands were a little too large to fit into the fabric. The princess had accepted the gift, of course, and thanked the child for his kind gesture, even if she would not be able to wear them at all. Instead, she had given them to one of the poorer girls she was aquaintanced with, so she might make a better use of them, Anna already owning many a pair herself.

Her tale ended just as the two arrived at the river side, where Anna had already brought them to share lunch together. It was calm, peaceful even, the only sound that could be heard being the rippling of the quiet stream to their right. Nobody would stumble upon them here, the princess had promised her that this was one of her safe havens that even she had sometimes used when she’d felt the need to escape from her title of “princess of Arendelle”.

There seemed to be more flowers than last time they’d come, Elsa noticed, as the colored petals littering the floor had literally doubled, each shade of pink and yellow blending into one another, creating a wonderful abstract canvas, and when Anna sat down in the middle of it all, Elsa regretted she had no artistic talent, for it would have made for a most beautiful sketch indeed.

“Come on, don’t you want to sit down too?” Anna smiled up at her, her hand gently taping the empty space next to her, and invitation for Elsa to sit down by her side, and while a few months ago, she might have hesitated and considered the possibilities of unwillingly harming the princess, now bending down and snuggling into Anna’s side seemed to come naturally to her, Elsa didn’t even have to think about it.

Anna kept quiet though, waiting for Elsa to speak up, waiting for the blonde to tell her why she was so terrified of trying out her powers again. Sure, they had had a mishap last time, but giving up wasn’t going to help anything, and Anna couldn’t push her, she had to wait for Elsa to make up her mind and actually be willing herself to attempt it again. Instead of trying to start off a casual conversation which would have just ended up being awkward (because both knew why Anna had brought them here), the princess turned to picking at the blades of grass before plucking the delicate white daisies, weaving them together as she patiently waited for Elsa to make up her mind.

Elsa looked at her curiously, her eyes drawn to the delicate fingers that relentlessly went though the same movements what must have been over a hundred times now, even though they never ceased to be caring and gentle toward the small stems they were interlacing into each other.

“Here.” Anna smiled, as she gently put the flowers she’d weaved together behind Elsa’s ear, before settling herself behind her and taking a few strands of hair in her hand, unconsciously weaving them together. “Is there a reason for you to fear your powers so much?” She asked quietly, resting her head on Elsa’s shoulder.

“It’s just-I don’t know, I know I can’t control them properly, and anytime I just wish them away, wish I never had them, it only makes me feel them all the more, and it seems to make them stronger. I don’t like not having that control over them, I don’t want to hurt anybody, Anna.” Elsa looked down at her hands, wishing some sign would finally show itself to her, something to let her know how to master the curse she’d been born with and finally be able to get rid of the constant anxiety that she might unintentionally harm someone because of that lack of control.

“Is that why you find it hard to control them? Because you’re afraid something bad will happen to someone when you use your powers?” Anna asked, trying to come up with an idea that would help Elsa get out of the mindset that her powers would only cause harm. For now, the problem seemed to be coming from Elsa, as the older girl seemed to have been conditioned to believe that anytime she would use her skills, nothing good would ever come out of it, and if nothing good would ever happen when Elsa used her powers, the princess could sort of understand where the fear her servant harbored probably came from.

All she had to do was try and convince Elsa that her powers weren’t something to be feared. Yes, there was danger, yes, there was always a risk that Elsa might hurt someone, but then wasn’t almost anything in every-day life potentially harmful too? Couldn’t she cut herself with a knife or scrape herself off the castle walls to if she wasn’t careful? Sure she could, but Anna knew that if she let her fear take over, then Elsa would never be able to live a normal life, and she just had to help the blonde see past the fact that her powers could hurt, show her that there was some good in them too.

Elsa nodded timidly, memories of faceless women and men she’d had the misfortune of meeting sneering down at her when her owner would try to sell her off. She could still feel the sensation of being trapped, inching back as much as she could in order to escape the terror-filled curses that were usually thrown at her and her powers. No, they weren’t something she was proud of owning, never had been and probably never would, they had only ever been a source of trouble for her anyway, what good could possibly come from them?

Anna was kind to her, she could see the princess was trying to help, but as much as she wanted to offer support, there were things even Anna’s will could do nothing for, and this was not something her Master could ever change or make better. And Elsa knew better than to hope that Anna would somehow magically be able to make the problem that were her powers disappear with her willpower alone.

Instead of answering the princesse’s question, however, Elsa just contended herself with a quick nod, not really too sure how to voice out her fear of how others were bound to view the fact that she had powers. The fact that she’d had to grow out of her childhood a lot faster than any other child her age would have had quickly made Elsa learn that in order to survive, you had to be able to read your Master’s desires and wants in order to have him keep on feeding you and ensuring your survival, and while the misery that her former owner had relished in making her bask in was now over, Elsa still had the remains of what he’d taught her, namely that no matter what good she might have wanted to accomplish with her powers, nothing worthwhile would ever come out of it, so it was useless for her to even waste time trying to get to learn how to use them.

Years at his side had made that little seed grow, and the initial dismissal of her supernatural abilities had turned into a fear, something that kept growing which Elsa had been ordered to turn a blind eye to, until what should have been a wonderful asset had morphed itself into an ugly flaw that everybody feared. Everybody except for Anna, her family and the servants around the castle, who still greeted her every morning with a radiant smile as they wished her “good day”. If they could muster up the courage to spend time around her without fearing for their lives or their safety, couldn’t Elsa also muster up a little courage and at least give Anna’s suggestion a try?

Besides, what did she have to lose?

“All right, I guess it wouldn’t hurt. But please, not for too long.” Elsa added, knowing she did not want the risk of finding herself overwhelmed by her powers, especially knowing what devastating consequences that could bring.

“Great!” Anna exclaimed, already rising to her feet and pulling the taller girl along with her, as she led them to the middle of the clearing, where they were sure not to strike anything that they might not see.

She’d been trying to find a way to make it seem less of a “necessity” in Elsa’s view for her to control her powers, knowing that if she were to find some other aim for the blond to be able to master her gift, it would probably put less pressure on Elsa’s shoulders, but what could one possibly want with anything related to ice and snow in the middle of spring?

She could feel Elsa’s hand squeeze hers back in apprehension as they took a few steps towards the middle of the clearing, and knew that the first thing she ought to do was to try and calm the other down, Anna having realized that generally, it was when Elsa panicked that her powers took control. Elsa had to relax, let it flow through her, let herself go along with it… Slide along. That was it!

“That’s it, Elsa!” She said excitedly as she turned around, hands on the blonde’s shoulders as a huge grin tugged at the side of her face. “I know what we’re going to do!”

She took a few steps, before turning back to Elsa, pointing to the ground at their feet.

“What would you think about ice skating?” The princess suggested, already bouncing up and down in excitement, hoping her enthusiasm would somehow infect Elsa too.

“I-Ice skating?” Elsa spluttered, this definitely not having been anything remotely close to what she’d thought her Mistress might come up with. Why would Anna want to _ice skate,_ of all things?

“Yes, ice skating! Don’t you see? If you can use your powers on the ground, we can go ice skating together! I’ll show you if you like, it’s really fun, I promise!” Anna encouraged her, now wishing she were already trying to show Elsa how to keep her balance and pulling her along by her side as the two would skate around in circles, together.

Elsa wasn’t too sure whether they ought to do this or not, she definitely didn’t want to risk hurting Anna again, but her idea of ice skating sounded really fun, and she would be lying to herself if she didn’t at least feel a small want to give in to Anna’s request. Surely if the princess was so excited about it, it was bound to be fun, wasn’t it?

She sighed, realizing that this wasn’t the first time that she’d given in to Anna’s pleas, but found a small joy in the fact that the princess always managed to get her to do things she was a little reluctant about (and that she generally enjoyed in the end too), maybe this idea wasn’t so bad, once she really paid attention and tried her best to avoid hurting her again.

“All right, I’ll try, but I’m not guaranteeing anything, all right?” She agreed, already feeling the cold seep up her arm and throughout her body. Elsa didn’t like the feeling, she could feel the chill take over, it’s dark and scary claws trapping her in the prison that were her powers, and tried to back away. It was always like this, it started off alright, but then her powers seemed to overrule her own will, acted of their own accord.

But then, the blonde felt a comforting warmth in her right hand, where Anna was holding her. No, not this time, she was _not_ going to let her powers hurt the princess again.

Closing her eyes and concentrating as much as she could, Elsa tried to order the flow of cold she could feel in her body to her arm, which she had extended in front of her, aiming towards the target Anna had suggested, namely, the ground at their feet. It was scary, feeling such a huge amount of magic flow through her veins, and like when her powers usually reared their ugly head, Elsa wished for a moment that she could just shut down, escape the control they would soon have over her. But Anna’s comforting presence just beside her somehow made everything seem less scary, and as the princess gently laid her hands on her shoulders, Elsa felt herself lean in to the other girl, letting go of whatever power she’d managed to gather into her hands, the white blast escaping her body and shooting towards the floor. Elsa closed her eyes, not wanting to see the failed experiment this had been, but when Anna gently pulled her hands from her face, Elsa’s lit up as, for the first time ever, she could see a small sphere of what exactly her powers had touched, and needless to say that the fact that it was so small meant the world to her, considering how, before, Elsa could remember the ice and snow spreading out miles around her. The fact that this attempt was so precise meant that it was working, that, given a little time, maybe she just might be able to control her powers after all.

And that thought was like a dream she’d wished for her whole life finally coming true, slowly but steadily.

“Oh, oh Anna! Look at how small it is!” She exclaimed, pointing to the small patch of frozen ground beneath their feet, already crouching down to see how little it had expanded compared to what Elsa had been used to seeing.

Anna smiled, glad that her advice had helped. It had taken her a while to figure it out, but eventually, she’d liked the degree of Elsa’s powers to whatever emotional state the blonde was in, and the more confidence she helped the older girl obtain, it seemed the more control she had over her powers. Of course, they were still far from Elsa totally mastering them, but this little victory meant a lot to the two of them, and Anna was certainly not about to cut Elsa’s satisfaction short, not when the infectious smile the blonde had plastered on her face has somehow spread to her own features as well.

Spurred on by her achievement, Elsa concentrated, overjoyed at the feeling that while not all of the cold in her body seemed to respond to the command she was making, a part of it still made it to her arms and down to the tips of her fingers, and once she could feel her power reach the tips, she exhaled, letting go and watched as the green surface at their feet slowly became a clean, white, slippery surface. It had worked! Her powers hadn’t gotten out of control at all!

“Oh Anna! Thank you so much!” She exclaimed, hugging the other girl and, whether it had been intentional or because of the rush of the moment, gave the princess a kiss, sending them both sliding to the ground, the two of them laughing as they ended up in a rather awkward position.

“I never knew ice could look so pretty.” Elsa reflected after a moment, still mesmerized by the even surface, as she looked at herself in the reflecting mirror beneath her. The older girl trailed a finger along the cold surface, shivering slightly as it sent a tingle running up her arm, but beaming none the less as she realized that this time, her attempt had been much more controlled, even if the surface she’d covered in ice wasn’t remotely symmetrical. The fact was that her powers had surfaced when she’d summoned them and without hurting anyone, and the glimmering white surface they left in their wake made Elsa realized for the first time that maybe her ice powers weren’t as ugly as she’d always seen them to be.

“Thank you so much Anna.” She breathed, as she tried to memorize how it felt, how relaxed her shoulders were, how lax her fingers were at the feeling of not reigning her powers, but rather, letting them express themselves. Maybe they weren’t so harmful is she let them out after all, it would seem.

“Well, we’ll be needing a little more if we’re hoping to go skating.” Anna winked at her, a small encouragement for Elsa to use her powers again and expand the frozen surface she’d already created.

A little more reassured now that she knew that someone actually wanted her to use her powers, Elsa nodded a little more eagerly, before attempting to conjure up more of her icy heritage, Anna watching, fascinated. The princess gaped, as again, a thin, almost clear layer of the slippery congealed water escaped her servant’s fingers and covered up more of the ground beneath them, the edges never ceasing to expand as far as they could, and once Elsa saw that no harm was coming out of what she was doing, she eventually managed a smile, as she turned more and more of the ground to ice, always careful, however, to avoid Anna.

“Wow, this looks amazing, Elsa.” Anna breathed, when her servant finally stopped, leaving the two with their very own ice rink, and Anna couldn’t be more pleased when she noticed that very little ice had been sent outside of the rink’s borders. Elsa was making marvelous progress.

Elsa just blushed, still beaming though as she got a firsthand view of her what she was now able to do and boy had her powers improved. And it had all been thanks’ to Anna, in a way, it was also a little thank you gift for the princess for all the time and patience she’d demonstrated towards her.

“Well, let’s try, shall we?” Anna said, extending a hand towards her, whish Elsa took immediately, as the two carefully stepped onto the ice. It took a few moments for them to get their balance (Anna especially, kept slipping a lot), but once they were both straight and standing tall, Anna made sure Elsa was ready before she slowly pulled the older girl behind her.

It was slippery at first, but Anna, having quite a skater’s foot, immediately found her balance, and so it was easier for her to look out for her servant’s too. She looked to her left, her nose colliding with Elsa’s, and while the two looked at each other for a moment, a little stunned, Anna grinned, rubbing their noses together, making Elsa laugh, as the blonde gripped her arm a little tighter, determined not to fall.

Despite what one might have thought, to Anna’s delight, Elsa was a quick learner, and soon enough; the blonde had managed to get a grip at the basics, and the two could enjoy skating close to one another, although at a much slower pace than what Anna would usually be at. She had her arm liked with Elsa’s, as both twirled around eachother and they pulled themselves along, Elsa’s fear of the cold and ice having vanished into the air, replaced with smiles and laughter. Anna’s heart was light, and it felt like the two of them were in their own cloud of happiness, floating above the world in a place nobody could reach them, and for now, Anna reveled in it.

“This is so fun!” Elsa exclaimed to her left, as she swirled around the princess, her hands in Anna’s, grinning down at the royal in thanks’ for everything Anna had offered her, for giving her everything she must have missed out on during her childhood. “It’s like I don’t even have to try and walk anymore, I can just let myself slide along, it feels so amazing.”

“You know what else is amazing?” Anna asked, pulling the blonde back to her chest, looking up into the blue eyes she’d begun to love losing herself in.

“No?” Elsa replied innocently and beating her eyelashes.

“You are.” And Anna leaned up to kiss the older girl, thrilled when she eventually felt Elsa respond. It was hesitant at the start, as if her servant was hesitant at whether she ought to do so or not, but when she finally gave in to what she was really feeling on the inside and let go of the anxiety that kept trailing around behind her, Anna was very happy to discover that a kiss into which Elsa poured everything she felt for her was the best kind of kiss she’d experienced, even better than her Mother’s when she’d come crying into her skirts because of a scraped knee when she’d been a child (and even to the present day, Anna could still say those kisses were very hard to rival).

However, while she’d appreciated Elsa’s display of affection, she hadn’t counted on it sending the two of them to the floor, which it did, as the slippery ice beneath them made Anna lose her footing, the two girls crashing down only a moment later. The ice hurt, for a moment, but when she looked up to see Elsa’s disheveled hair and that her smile had not vanished because she might have feared she’d done something wrong, Anna could only laugh it off, leaning up to catch the other’s lips with her own once again. Kissing Elsa definitely made everything better, anyway.

“Have I told you how much I love you already?” She asked, winking.

“I think you have, but you know, I really don’t mind hearing it again. And besides, I love you too.” Elsa said, resting her head on Anna’s shoulder, looking up into the perfect face of the girl who had finally shown her that it was okay to be different, that even if you weren’t’ like everybody else, you could still be loved, and the fact that she’d managed to give something back to Anna after the princess had done so much for her meant the world to Elsa. She wasn’t about to let anyone destroy the happiness of the one who now held her heart.

And to make sure Anna knew how much she loved her, she kissed her again, well intent on showing the princess every day how much she meant to her if it would ensure her that Anna would be hers, for Elsa had already entirely given herself to Anna, the blonde knew there were no doubts about that at least.

 


	11. Was It All But A Dream?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna is forced to come down from her little cloud of happiness when she is reminded of her duties as a princess of Arendelle.

To Anna’s delight, she and Elsa had continued to try different ways for the elder girl to control her powers after their last success, and it had been Elsa who had asked if they could continue of her own accord, Anna hadn’t had to talk her into doing it. Of course, they had started with more ice rinks, where the two would then skate a little together, and despite what she’d initially thought, the blonde had become quite good at it too.

Elsa had then dared to make it a little more complicated, as she had tried to make shapes and forms out of her powers, and while the first few times were more or less failures, after a while of sticking to simple and easy designs, Anna had been delighted the day Elsa had managed to carve a cake out of her own powers. Sure, it was a little sloppy in places, but it was a vast improvement when she compared it to what Elsa had first been able to do.

To be honest, whatever look the older girl settled with, Anna didn’t mind, to be honest. She wasn’t asking for Elsa to become a master ice-sculptor overnight, nor was she expecting her servant to be there each time the princess wished to skate to make make her the floor she needed in order to do so, Anna was just so happy that Elsa had finally found something she knew she could do with her powers, something she could rely on, know she was able to accomplish when she felt herself being overwhelmed.

And the fact that Elsa had vastly improved and had showed determination in trying her best to see the gift in her powers instead of the curse she’d always known (and been taught) them to be was a real reward to Anna. Where she’d seen a lot of royal visitors expect gratitude and something in return when they indulged in their servants, the princess had never seen the need in such actions, as the simple smile of the cooks as she’d lick her plate clean or the small chuckle of the women who were sometimes tasked to dust her bedroom when they noticed she would have already tidied as much as she could and made her bed she’d grown up with had made it somewhat of a normality to be kind and help her servants in whatever way she could, even if it was a seemingly insignificant action. And as she’d learnt to offer the small indulgence to her servants, Elsa was not an exception, and as soon as Anna had developed that spark of attraction towards the other girl, she’d become determined to help her in whatever way she could in order to give her the most normal life as possible, nobody deserved to believe themselves worth less than nothing, and especially not Elsa.

It had been great, finally having someone she could connect to and spend time with. Of course, Anna loved chatting with the maids and cooks, she enjoyed hearing all the gossip they brought back from town or just hearing about their ordinary family lives, but she couldn’t help but sometimes feel left out, as if those adults were in a world she had not yet entered, and when her Father had offered her Elsa, it had been a wonderful remedy to the loneliness she’d been experiencing, as the older girl had been someone she could finally share her daily life and routine with and feel like a connection to.

Of course, while Anna had immediately been intrigued by Elsa right from the start, she’d never expected her curiosity to go so far, nor had she ever thought she’d fall head over heels in love with the older girl, but heh!- Life was among the most unpredictable things, she’d often been told, and for once, Anna was so grateful to whatever Fate above had decided to intertwine her life with that of the perfect blonde.

Even better was the fact that Elsa had learnt to love on her own accord, nobody had forced her into it, and yet, the small kisses she would sometimes give her on her cheek or the way she would wrap her arms around her waist before they went to sleep every night (a habit Anna was certainly happy the other had picked up, if she were honest) and waking up to the curious blue eyes that would look up at her every morning was a routing the princess had come to love, just knowing she could go to sleep every night and expect that same small little token of affection each time she would wake was the best little present Elsa could give her back.

It had taken her a long while to actually dare to go forward and actually kiss (and not a small peck, a genuine kiss) Elsa, but with she had and Anna knew she would never regret it, not for one single day, and the best thing was that Elsa had returned the kiss too, that the affection they held for each other wasn’t only going one way, it was mutual, even if Elsa expressed it differently.

Even looking at her now, across the table they were sharing in Kristoff’s bakery as she curiously tried to make out what the donut their host had offered them was made of, Anna couldn’t help but find it adorable, and if the grin that widely spread across her face might have seemed stupid to some people, well Anna didn’t care.

“How does he even do this?” Elsa was asking, as she pushed slightly on the still-warm pastry, pushing some of the sweet jam out and letting it drop onto the plate, before picking it up with her finger and liking it off, no way was she going to let the sweet treat go to waste.

“That’s Kristoff for you, he does magic with his hands, I swear. I haven’t tasted anything near as good as what we get here anywhere else (not that I’ve really gone to other bakeries around, you know).” And leaning in closer, her elbows almost touching Elsa’s, she winked “I’m sure he’s got some sort of fairy in his family, it would explain how he’s so extraordinary in the kitchen.”

Elsa laughed, picking up her napkin and dabbing it along the side of Anna’s mouth, the princess having unknowingly left a trace of sugar along the side, which Elsa had argued would look rather unprincessy were the people of Arendelle to see her walk about like that.

“He’s nowhere near as extraordinary as you though.” Anna added, taking hold of Elsa’s hand, giving it a little kiss in order to show the other that she meant it.

Elsa shook her head in defeat, while she liked the attention Anna always provided for her, she always felt like she never gave enough in return. She couldn’t get the other anything, having no means to bargain with (and she was most definitely not ready to sell her body for it, even if it was to get something for the person she loved most in the world, Elsa just couldn’t do it), but Elsa had started feeling a little embarrassed at never being able to repay Anna her kindness. Sure, the princess always argued that her simply being there was the only thing Anna needed, and while Elsa would gladly comply, it just didn’t feel like enough to her.

She’d tried giving back a little more recently, especially hugging Anna whenever she could and even taking to sleep next to her when the princess felt like it, but it never felt like enough to her, especially when she compared it to everything Anna had helped her accomplish regarding her new use of her powers, and while Elsa had been trying to find something she might be able to offer in return, her mind always came up blank. She still held on to the hope that something would turn up eventually, she just had to be patient, and while a few months ago Elsa might have scoffed at the idea that a situation could get better, she’d learnt to be more optimistic since entering her service as a royal servant, which definitely helped having a brighter view on things, and it was without a doubt both a relief and a wonderful change from how she’d used to view the world as a place full of injustice, vices and misery.

Still, while Anna might have taught her to value herself a little more, Elsa still couldn’t help but blush fiercely at the kind little comments the princess would sometimes make. Sometimes, she would still remember how she’d been surviving before she’d met her good fortune, where she’d had to bend to others’ wills in order to live, and praise was either very hard to obtain or was used as a way to mock people of low-class like her, the words sounded nice to the ear, but with a little perception, anybody would have detected the note of hypocrisy beneath them.

And while she’d been weary of Anna at the start, fearing her to be a hypocrite like so many other pretty faces she’d met in her life, the princess had proven her wrong, and that the nice people she’d hear of in distant stories and fairy tales _could_ exist. And meeting her very own princess was the best gift Fate had ever given to her. Biting into another piece of her sweet cake, Elsa relished in the sugary delight, in the fact that she was now part of a world she’d observed and longed to be part of for so long, a world she could have been deprived of but Anna had chosen not to keep her out of.

“You’re quite the fairy godmother too, you know?” Elsa chuckled, unconsciously laying her hand over Anna’s in the process, it came naturally after all.

Anna grinned. She could recall being compared to quite a lot of things, but a “fairy godmother” was indeed a new one, not that she disliked it, of course, she’d just wanted to make Elsa happy again after all. Wasn’t it natural to want to help someone recover from something they did not deserve to have gone through, after all? To Anna it was just the basic instinct of human compassion, had her Father offered her a red-haired servant named Selina, she would have helped her just the same (maybe not have fallen in love in the process though, nobody matched Elsa, after all).

Which reminded her, she had meant to offer it to Elsa a while ago now but so caught up in their sessions of helping the older girl mastering her powers, Anna had indeed quite forgotten the little gift she’d wanted to offer the other. The princess had snuck off after their shared dinners, when Elsa insisted on helping carry the dishes to the royal kitchens and sometimes giving a hand in the washing-up too, trying to find the best one among the variety of little things she wanted to offer her, the one in which the older girl would be able to see just how much she meant to her and be reminded every day when she would lay her eyes on the little trinket.

Of course, Anna had kept her business a secret, not even Kristoff or her parents knew about this, and Anna wanted to keep it this way. It wasn’t to slight them, but more in the hopes that they wouldn’t inadvertently end up telling Elsa what she was doing for her behind her back, after all, if the blond did learn of it before Anna had offered her the gift, it wouldn’t really be a surprise, would it? No, it wouldn’t. And even though it had been meant as a surprise, Anna had been so caught up recently with Elsa’s improvement regarding her powers that she’d only remembered the little box sitting in her chest of drawers, waiting to be gifted to her servant last night, and while Anna really wanted to offer it to Elsa as soon as she’d remembered it, she wasn’t about to wake up the sleeping blonde, her peaceful features as she had buried her face in her pillow had eventually dissuaded Anna, who could only hold off the excitement until today.

 And now that the two of them were sitting together, a little isolated from the other clients in Kristoff’s bakery, Anna felt it was the perfect opportunity to let Elsa know just how much she wanted her to stay at her side, how much she really meant to her.

“Elsa, there’s… Um…” Oh how was she going to say this without sounding silly. She really didn’t want to make a fool of herself, nor did she want to have Elsa believe that she didn’t truly mean this. “There’s something I’d like to offer you, that is, if you want it, of course.”

Elsa’s head perked up, Anna having caught the blonde’s interest, and before this became more awkward, Anna fingered her pocket, searching for the small package she had stashed away in it, and pulled out a small bag she gently put on the table.

“Here, I’d like you to have this.” And Anna pushed the small wrapper towards her. “I hope you like it.”

Slowly, Elsa pulled out the object that had been kept safe in the wrapper, carefully folding the bag in order to not have it damaged. She then took the small box and turned it around in her hand, taking a moment to observe the warm red color it had and the intricate golden design lining the sides of it. It was beautiful, no doubt the work of a very talented craftsman she deducted, as she ran a finger along the shiny design drawn along the sides of the small present.

“It’s very pretty.” Elsa conceded after a while, smiling back up at Anna, about to carefully put the little box away.

“No, silly!” Anna laughed, “You should open it.” She encouraged. Elsa didn’t think she would just offer her a box, did she? What kind of present would that be?

“Oh! Oh, all right.” Elsa blushed, a little embarrassed, carefully bringing one hand to lift off the lid of the box and put it on the table, then turning back to actually look at what the box exactly contained-

-and her mouth fell open.

“Y-You can’t mean this… I-I mean surely… Y-You-?” Elsa couldn’t believe it. Anna offering her hot chocolate and cookies from Krsitoff’s shop, in a way, it had become a normality for them, but this? This was way beyond what a master ought to offer for a servant, this was…

“Oh no, I’m serious Elsa, I mean it.” Anna nodded, knowing she had to make Elsa understand that she wasn’t making fun of her, that this was something she’d thought about for a long time, a gift she’d taken great pride in choosing and that she meant everything that the gesture could imply.

“I-It’s wonderful.” Elsa breathed, as she took the small silver ring out of the box, taking a moment to look at it once again before delicately sliding it on to her finger, noticing how the small shiny snowflake in the center of it made her skin appear even whiter than it was already. “Oh, Anna, I really don’t know what to say, it’s, it’s…”

Anna however, just nodded. Sometimes one did not have to express their gratitude or thanks in words, seeing the joy painted on their faces was enough of a thank you for the person who offered, and as Elsa’s features lit up as she ran a finger among the silver jewel, Anna knew she’d pleased her beyond what the blonde could ever have expected.

“I’m glad you like it, it means a lot you know.” Anna still felt a little guilty for doing it all behind Elsa’s back without letting the blonde in on it, but then if she had, it wouldn’t have been a surprise, and Elsa’s face lighting up was something Anna would not miss for the world, she’d come to love seeing it as much as she could every day, making sure herself that she would be the one to put it there, just to show Elsa that it was all right to smile, and that when the older girl smiled, well, it made Anna’s day a hundred times better as well.

“Thank you.” It was really not what Elsa wanted to say, let alone enough to express how deeply Anna’s gesture had touched her, but she just didn’t know how to formulate it any better. Unlike Anna, she had not had the privilege of learning higher-class language and ways to say certain things, Elsa just relied on what she knew how to express to communicate, and while a lot of the time her simple wording was what had made her life just a little easier, right now she couldn’t help but ache a little at what she had missed out on during all those previous years of servitude under this master or that one, none of whom bore any interest in educating her.

“Thank you so much, it’s really pretty Anna. I’ll be sure to keep it.”

Anna smiled from behind her mug of hot chocolate, finishing it up in a gulp and sighing in content afterwards, nothing beat Kristoff’s hot chocolate, his was by far the best.

“Have you finished?” She asked, eyeing Elsa’s plate, noticing the half-eaten cookie that was still there.

“Oh I’m done, I think. As much as I love Kristoff’s cooking, I don’t think I can handle anymore.”

Taking it as the cue for them to head back (and true, the evening was settling in), Anna rose up from their table, offering Elsa a hand up and picking up her discarded cookie as they left (who, in their good mind, would leave a cookie behind after all?), and after waving goodbye to their kind host, the two once again found themselves on their way back to the castle, where Elsa was sure she would ask if she could give a hand setting the table. She liked giving a helping hand where she could, just to make life easier for the nice servants there and to repay Anna and her family’s kindness towards her, it was only natural, right?

Dinner itself had been a rather quiet affair for Elsa, who had headed to the servants quarters to share her meal with the rest of the housemaids and kind people who worked around the house. It was peaceful, calm even, and it had given her time to wind down after the excitement of the day, even if she’d kept unconsciously fingering the ring around her finger, which she tried to keep hidden from the rest of the servants, not wishing them to think she might be receiving privileges from the princess. Anna smiling to her was already a privilege in itself, her whole life here in the castle was a dream come true, and sometimes, Elsa still couldn’t believe how fortunate she was.

However, down the other side of the hall, things sure weren’t going as well for Anna. Neither her Mother or her Father had said anything, but as soon as she saw them sitting at the table, meal untouched as they had obviously been waiting for her to return, she had a sight inclination in her gut that they wanted to discuss something with her, and that whatever it was going to be about, she was probably not going to like it.

“Anna.” Her Father was the first to break the unnatural silence, and while Anna saw him smile, she couldn’t help but apprehend what he was going to be talking about. Maybe the beautifully cooked meat had been as a way for him to make it up to her, in a way, the princess appreciated the effort, but it didn’t do much to loosen up the knots of anxiety that had started to form deep down in her stomach.

“Mum, Dad? Is there something I should know?”

Both the King and the Queen looked at each other, not too sure how to phrase it, but eventually, Agnarr sighed, deciding that if one of them was going to have to tell Anna, it may as well be him.

“Anna, you know your birthday wasn’t too long ago, don’t you?” And at Anna’s hesitant nod, he continued, albeit still a little hesitant. “You turned twenty, and you know what happens when an heir reaches their twentieth birthday, don’t you?”

Anna cautiously nodded, well aware that there was suddenly a not-so-pleasant vibe about this dinner anymore, and she hoped that whatever news her Father was giving her, it wouldn’t take long.

“Your presentation ceremony will take place in a few weeks.” Iduna took over, knowing she often had a way of being more gentle towards her daughter, “We’ve already started organizing it, and we’ve invited several dignitaries from the neighboring islands, although we’re still waiting for an answer from some of them.”

Anna couldn’t suppress the smile of gratitude that spread across her face for everything her Mother seemed to have done for her without her knowledge: presentation ceremonies were something big, and the fact that she’d not heard a whisper from it yet meant that her Mother had definitely been keeping things quiet until she herself had told her daughter when it was to take place.

“We…” Agnarr started off awkwardly, really not wanting to be the one to have to give his daughter the news, but she was going to be officially presented to the dignitaries of other kingdoms as an adult, and being an adult entailed responsibilities, notably… “We were hoping you might find a smart match in one of the princes.”

The room went silent, both the king and the queen holding their breath, anxiously waiting to see how Anna coped with the news. They knew it was unfair of them to tell her like this, with no preparation or warning, but Anna was their one and only daughter, she was going to be presented as an adult and she was to be their only chance at having their kingdom survive after their death. Agnarr knew it was very early to instill such pressure on his little girl’s shoulders, but as a future queen, Anna had to know that while it was all well and good to be kind and generous to as many people as she could, it was not enough to rule a kingdom, she would need a husband to rule at her side, and her presentation ceremony was, he hoped, the right occasion for it.

“You… You…” Anna sat back, aghast. She couldn’t believe it, she had not expected this at all, and the news was indeed very hard to take in. _Her parents actually wanted her to…?_ “You wish me to find a future husband at the ceremony?”

“Anna…” Agnarr sighed, knowing the little hope he’d had that Anna would take it well was slowly crumbling. He didn’t mean it to scare her or to intrude in the small bubble of happiness she’d created around her and the servant girl he’d offered her for her birthday, but Anna had to realize that life wasn’t always what she came up with in dreams and fantasies, she was their only insurance for the throne after their death, and Agnarr knew he had to do right by his people by finding his daughter a fine young man with whom she could marry and spend a happy life.

“Anna, we know you’d rather not have to face such responsibilities for a long time yet, and we know how much you enjoy spending time with the serving girl, but you have to understand, as a princess your first duty is to your kingdom.” The Queen added gently, hoping her approach might seem more kind to her daughter. Anna was their only child and in no way did they wish to sadden her by this, but it was going to come up sooner or later, and no matter how much she enjoyed spending time with Miss Elsa, Anna had to realize that there was a real duty out there waiting for her, that she could not spend all of her time around one person, no matter how badly she might want to help them.

“We know you’ve grown very fond of Miss Elsa, and trust me, your Father and I are thrilled at how much you appreciate her as a person, but in wanting to help her, you cannot forget your place. You are Princess of Arendelle, one and only heir to the throne, and while you have a duty to protect each and every citizen of this country, you cannot let your affection for one person overrule it.”

She rose up from her chair, taking a step towards Anna in the hopes that she might be able to get her see the reason behind why she and her Father were doing this, but Anna swiped her hand away.

“No! No I don’t want to! I love Elsa!”

The King and Queen looked at each other. Agnarr had only intended well when he had bought the blonde serving girl, he had hoped that while it would have pleased his daughter as a gift, Anna might also have been able to help the poor soul. And it seemed that she did, for his servants had often mentioned to him how enjoyable the small chat they had with the foreign girl were pleasurable indeed, and Agnarr had been happy that his young girl had been so taken by her. Now though, he realized that the small spark that Anna had had, the want to make everything better for the other, had indeed lit up but it had gone from the simple want to help and care to something much deeper, it would seem, and in a way, while it seemed cruel, he wished he had separated them sooner for he really did not wish to have to do this to his only daughter.

“Anna… We know you care about her, trust me, many a cook has told me how you and Elsa spend literally every moment of every day together, but please, try to understand, she’s a servant, it’s all she’ll ever be. You cannot marry a servant girl.”

He couldn’t even bring himself to look at her as he said the last part, knowing it would hurt Anna more than anything else he might have said, but it had to be done. The great thing about being a royal was the help they had the privilege to offer a helping hand to a huge number of people but the downside was that each and every member of such a family had duties, and Anna, as his only daughter, had now reached adulthood, it was expected of her to take a husband, Agnarr could not go against such a tradition.

“B-But…” Anna tried to argue, “But Elsa and me, we…”

“We know you care about her, dear, and believe me, both your Father and I are thrilled to see how much you two got out of each other, but you’re our future Queen, you have to think of your people first, it’s why we’ve organized a ball for your presentation ceremony, your Father and I, we hoped you might find someone else, someone you might really come to love and wish to settle down with.”

Anna felt her Mother’s arms on her shoulders and looked up into the her ever-loving eyes. It was hard, it was so hard to accept what they were saying because it just hurt so much, but in a way, Anna couldn’t help but admit that they were right. She _was_ princess of Arendelle, she _was_ the one person who would take up the throne after her parents death, she _was_ the only person with the title, and as much as she disliked it right now, her duty had to overrule whatever desire her heart might have.

“We’re not saying you cannot speak to her ever again.” Agnarr tried to argue in order to make his point pass a little easily. He knew this was hard on his daughter but he had to make her understand that as much as she might hold affection for the little blonde girl he’d bought a few months ago, Anna could not let whatever had blossomed between them overrule her duty. And her duty, as much as he hated to force it upon her, was to find a husband with whom she would rule and do well by the people of the kingdom. “It’s just… Sometimes the will of one’s heart cannot always go hand in hand with what is expected of one’s mind. It’s for the best darling, your Mother and I are sure you’ll meet someone eventually, and with some hope, he’ll be able to bring you as much joy and happiness as Elsa.”

“It’s why we organized a big celebration for your birthday, inviting lots of the neighboring princes and royals. Surely one of the young men there will…”

Anna nodded mutely. She understood, God she understood even if it felt incredibly unfair, but what choice did she have? As a royal and next in line to the throne, she knew she had to do right by the people and offer them a kind-hearted King, one who would see to their welfare and good health, but it just felt so unfair that after everything that had happened between her and Elsa, that all that happiness they’d just managed to build between themselves was now crumbling down into dust at her feet.

Mutely Anna nodded before quietly asking to take her leave, and did not even wait for an answer before she headed to the door, quietly closing it behind her and not taking a moment to see the anguish painted across her parents faces.

Elsa had obediently been waiting for Anna, first taking to stand by the door, but when the princesses’ meeting with her parents had started to be longer than the blonde had initially thought it would take, Elsa had started to wander up and down the corridor, taking in the huge family portraits hung up on either side of her. She had stopped in front of some of them, notably the older Queens, noticing how they all bore the same kindness and gentleness in their look, the striking blue eyes a mirror of Anna’s. For a moment, Elsa had wished she could trace down the sides of their faces with a delicate finger, but at the last moment, she’d opted not to, not wishing to damage the ancient artifacts and had instead returned to looking into each one of their eyes, imagining how Anna’s portrait would look sitting next to them when the princess would take up her role as Queen of Arendelle.

Elsa had given up on trying to hear what was being said inside the room Anna was sharing with the King and Queen. She had tried but had quickly given up, firstly because she’d felt it was terribly invasive and rude to try and listen in and secondly because she hadn’t been able to make put what the mumbling she heard meant, it was pretty useless to waste time crouching beside the door any longer anyway. It was thus a surprise when the door opened and Anna came out, and Elsa had immediately made for the princess, happy now that they might be able to share dinner together before retreating to bed for the night but her enthusiasm was cut short when she saw the distressed look painted across the princesse’s face.

“Anna?” She asked, a little hesitant, seeing Anna like this was so unusual it made Elsa feel uneasy, and she didn’t like it. “Is something wrong?”

Anna didn’t answer her immediately, however, and when, eventually, the redhead just shook her head without saying a word, Elsa knew there was something the other girl did not wish to share. She didn’t want to intrude, definitely not if this was about a private family matter, but seeing the one person she cared about look so sad, Elsa couldn’t help but want to try and help.

“Is there something I can do for you?”

Anna but her lip, hating how her parents had forced her to do this, but reminded herself that she did not really have a choice. Any more close contact with Elsa would just make the moment the two realized they could not be together even harder, and while the shield she was drawing up hurt, Anna knew it was for the best, it would hurt less pushing Elsa away now than later, where she would have given even more time for whatever was blooming between them to take seed.

“No Elsa, thank- Actually yes, there is.” Anna said quietly, before taking a deep breath. This was going to hurt Elsa as much as it would hurt her to say it, but it had to be done, and the sooner the better. “We can’t sleep together anymore, I’m to take a husband.”

Elsa hadn’t even noticed Anna had taken a few steps ahead of her, where she’d suddenly stopped. _Anna was to marry?_

No, nonono, no this was all wrong, this was unfair! She knew she could not voice it out loud, but why? Why was this being done to her? Why, after everything they had together did she go and have to lose it all? Had she done something wrong? Had she upset Anna somehow? Anna didn’t even turn back to her, Elsa noticed, as the princess kept trudging along, no doubt retreating to their –no _her_ – room, where she would wish to be alone.

And as much as she wished she could do something, Elsa knew she could not. She was but a servant, what could a servant offer to a princess, after all?

And as she watched Anna leave her behind, Elsa couldn’t help but let her go. She should have realized sooner that what they had between them was impossible, that no matter how much they might have wanted it, that was what they were, a princess and a slave.

And princesses just didn't marry slaves, Elsa reflected as she gently slipped off the ring Anna had offered her, burying it in her pocket where she could not see it along with the promises of happiness Anna had made to her.


	12. A Helping Hand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna's cousin Oleg makes his entrance and offers Elsa some much needed support.

 “Hey, what’s the matter?”

Elsa looked up from where she’d been twirling her spoon in one of Kistroff’s hot chocolates absent-mindedly. Oleg leaned forward, resting his head on his hands, as he calmly asked her the question again, and the blonde sighed quietly.

_What’s the matter?_ Everything was the matter, that was the problem, so much that she didn’t even know where to begin.

Since Anna had asked for them to put distance between each other, every day had seemed like an eternity, and no longer was there anything to look forward to. Elsa still enjoyed working around the castle, the servants and cooks were still extremely nice to her, and Anna and her parents still spared a kind word when she passed them by during her chores, but it just wasn’t the same anymore, and Elsa missed the closeness she’d once had with the princess.

She understood why Anna couldn’t be with her, she understood why the princess no longer helped her learn how to read or brought her out on small afternoon walks around Arendelle, but it didn’t mean that Elsa missed it any less. The older girl tried as much as she could not to dwell on the matter, tried to refocus on being a simple servant around the castle, but when she could hear Anna laugh with her parents at the dinner table or when she heard the princess excitedly talk about the upcoming ball in honor of her presentation ceremony (even if said ball was still far off), she couldn’t help the small ache that grew and grew as the days went by, and despite some of the other servants’ best attempt to make her smile, life just wasn’t the same anymore, and she still had to accept that. Servants just didn’t marry princesses.

In the dullness her life as becoming, Oleg’s arrival to the castle had brought a small brightness to her monotone routines. Oleg was Anna’s older cousin, having taken his ill father’s place as an emissary from one of the more northern castles to assist to Anna’s coming of age ceremony, which was to be held in a few weeks. It was the talk around the castle, not a day would go by without Elsa hearing chatter about it, and even if she could no longer discuss it with her Master, a small part of her couldn’t help but feel excitement at the upcoming feast it would be. Apparently nobles from as far as the Eastern Lands and the Southern Isles were said to be coming, and if she believed the gossip that went around, those were some handsome men indeed that would be presiding at the evening party that would take place after the official celebration.

All in all, Elsa really couldn’t say that things weren’t going well, but she was still feeling… rather lonely.

However in all that, Oleg was a blessing, though.

Anna’s cousin had arrived just short of three weeks ago now, and with Elsa tasked to greet him properly, she had done her very best to make the castle guest (even if he _was_ family) as accommodated and welcomed as possible. She hadn’t expected him to take a sudden shining to her, but when one invitation for a stroll down-town had turned into a meet-up around a hot chocolate (apparently, a love for chocolate was something that run in the family, it would seem, not that Elsa minded all that much, chocolate _was_ indeed a nice luxury) every three-days, Elsa’s mood lightened up somewhat, and while in no way did the boy –man- compare to Anna, she could still see the same heart-warming qualities the two shared in him, and that wasn’t even mentioning his freckled face and strawberry-blond hair. The two cousins had a really uncanny resemblance, which was often something she and Oleg had come to chuckle about together.

Yes, things weren’t going too bad, considering the circumstances.

Anna, she had unfortunately not gotten to see much of. According to the servants, both of her parents had a lot to deal with regarding private family matters and had been requiring Anna daily for matters concerning the upcoming ceremony. Elsa felt sorry for the princess, being cooped up like that day after day with talk of politics and organization really couldn’t be all that fun, could it? And while she’d tried several times to wait for the princess at the door of the familial study, Elsa had always felt like she’d been intruding on some private affair, and had eventually left, often heading off to find Oleg or share a cake with Kristoff, it really wasn’t her business to listen in on private affairs regarding Anna’s family, after all.

She tried to ignore the small ache in her chest when it would rear it’s ugly head, reminding he how lonely life without Anna was, she knew it was not her place to decide the future of Arendelle’s princess, nor was it her place to force the younger girl to come back to her, but when each day small little nothings would remind her of what she and Anna had so easily shared not even a month ago that now was something she could only dream of, adapting to reality was not something she was finding easy, despite Oleg and Kristoff’s attempts to lighten up her days.

True, the chocolates and cakes the baker would offer them were indeed quite a nice treat, and watching Oleg gulp one snack after the other had Elsa wondering if the royal family was not victim of some odd medical condition regarding chocolate, as not only Elsa but also her parents and cousin seemed to have an uncanny fondness for the brown-colored treat. And while she enjoyed the sweet taste and the intricate designs carved into the small squares Kistoff would offer them, the blonde could never for the life of her understand the whole family’s extreme fondness for it.

But she wasn’t going to complain, not when a small bite would remind her of past days with Anna, whether it be an afternoon shopping or a few of the many hours they had spent down by the river side, just the two of them. Elsa had started coming to terms that somehow, those moments were over, and would be rare indeed once Anna took up her royal duty as next Queen, but because she wouldn’t have them anymore didn’t mean that she ought to forget them, and anything that helped her memorize the feel and joy those days had brought to her, Elsa tried to keep and cherish, as they helped her feel a little less alone in a world that seemed to have suddenly started moving on without her.

“Oh, well, nothing in particular.” She lied, knowing she couldn’t let Oleg into how she and his cousin had been a little closer than most would assume. The townspeople of Arendelle had never passed any comments when they had seen her and the princess side-by-side, actually, they’d always been quite cheerful when the princess would greet them with a “Hello!” or “Good morning!” but for some reason, she doubted Anna’s cousin would take kindly to his relative (and next heir to the throne) having once been very close to another _girl_. Especially a slave girl, princesses just didn’t mix with slaves, it wasn’t normal. “You know… Just thinking.” She tried to cover up, not wanting to bother him with he own personal problems when she ought to be seeing to his well-being, being a guest and all.

“About Anna?”

Elsa looked up sharply, _how did he…?_ But catching onto the grin Oleg couldn’t seem to suppress, she understood he meant no harm by his inquiry. Still, she had thought she’d done a pretty good job at avoiding Anna and displaying how their lack of relationship was hurting her, well, it seemed like she was wrong.  The princess’s cousin had been around not even a week and a few conversations between each other seemed to be all he needed to know what was up with her. _Way to go Elsa, he’s probably going to tell you to move on already._

“I-I don’t-“ She stuttered, suddenly wanting to find an excuse to her inability to put Anna in the past and focus on her servant job like she ought to, but when looking back up into his eyes again –a frightening similar color to those of the princess- Elsa was at a loss of what to say. Truth was, while Anna seemed to have been able to adapt to her new life as heir to the throne, Elsa wasn’t finding it as easy to just forget what they had had, and while Kristoff was a blessing when he was willing to stand as a listening ear for her to pour her heart out to, the blonde knew such trivial affairs like having a crush on the princess were best left behind when Anna had told her they could not be together.

She’d been trying, she really had, and the lack of communication she’d had with Anna since that evening had helped, in a way, but it had also been feeding the emptiness in her soul, the part of her that somehow still needed the princess’s comforting presence, and simply forgetting Anna and everything they’d shared together wasn’t’ as easy as Elsa would have liked.

“Hey.” Elsa looked up, when she felt his hand on hers, closing gently around it in an attempt of support. “I know what it’s like. I also thought I was in love once, with this girl who sprung out of nowhere. She was the most amazing person I’d ever seen back then, and we got together. We’d been eager, we shared what we had, and I thought we were in it to last… Until she left me, for another man.” He trailed off, looking away, a bitter smile playing on his face at the hurtful reminiscence.

“I’m sorry-“ Elsa tried to offer, knowing all too well what it was like to have the person you thought you loved unable to return your affections to you anymore, it would probably be easier for him to bear if he knew someone was there to support him too, company was the best thing one could have in time of heartbreak.

“It’s alright.” Oleg smiled, before returning to his story. “Anyway, after that, I spent a lot of my time moping around the castle, too tired to help around and unwilling to try to find any other girl ever again, as I’d thought she was the only one I would ever love. I let it fester and become my one obsession, I wasn’t able to move on from my heartbreak, and by closing in on myself, I kept pushing away those who were there and trying to help me get over it.

Eventually, I understood I couldn’t go on like that. I had to come to terms with the fact that what we had once had was over, and I had to move on. It wasn’t easy, and her rejection still hurt from time to time, but I found something else to love, something to completely lose myself in, and that love made up for the one I had lost, it helped me rebuild myself and rebuild the love I held for my family, and things didn’t turn out so bad in the end after all.” He added, smiling sheepishly, the dimples forming on his cheeks similar to those that would appear on Anna’s face when she used to smile at her. Truly, they both shared a striking resemblance, Elsa thought.

Oleg sighed. He understood what Elsa was feeling, but at the same time, how could he completely blame his cousin for what she had said? Anna was the princess, she was the one person who held Arendelle’s future in her hands, and that future was one she could not share with Elsa if she hoped to build a family. It was cruel, it was unfair, but then again, being raised as a noble, he had understood from quite a young age that life wasn’t fair even to the wealthiest, and that feelings and relationships very rarely had a say when it came to politics. The only thing he could do now was see to Anna having the best husband she could hope to find while attempting to soothe her servant’s hurts, seen as how Anna’s duties often prevented her from spending time around anyone really, at the moment.

He didn’t know why exactly he felt compelled to help the smaller blonde, for it was nor his place nor his duty to do so, but something had pulled at his heartstrings when he had gotten the full story of what her life had been for the previous nine months, and he couldn’t help but feel a little sad at the comprehension of what she was losing by Anna’s coronation. She had been a victim of her environment, and his cousin had helped her put all that behind her, but the bond the two had created between each other along the road had not been something they had intended, and while Anna he could understand closing herself off, it still pained him to see the other half of the relationship left behind with not a soul there having enough time to help her pick up the pieces.

Oh Anna was hurting still, he could see it in her eyes when they would sit together at noble councils or when they would share dinner together, but the princess had learnt how to school her features, and the dedication with which she was seeing to the coronation ceremony was something he was happy for, it was giving Anna the opportunity to move on and rebuild herself again, it was letting her truly become the Queen she was someday destined to be. And while the hard lesson of duty being more important than the heart was not one easily accepted, the fact that Anna understood it and was trying to cope showed him that his cousin, despite her heartbreak, was still trying to see to the future of the kingdom.

Elsa he had only met on a few occasions, at first. She had been the servant who had taken in his belongings, and while Oleg knew it was not his place to talk and include the servants in conversations, he and his family had never really been one to abide to social conventions, and he had quickly found himself quite enjoying talking with the reserved blonde. Through gossip from the servants and talk around the town, he had learnt that she had been a gift to his cousin for her twentieth birthday, and that he two had gotten very close over the months following Elsa’s arrival, if the word of the baker and tailor were to be taken for truths. The townspeople seemed to have taken a liking to her as much as they had taken a liking to the princess, and so he couldn’t help but feel warm and welcoming to the blonde when he had first gotten a moment to introduce himself to her.

“And I’m sure that you’ll be fine too.” He winked, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder. Elsa had never really been one for contact, as the previous years had certainly not offered her any caring touch from the many strangers she’d had the misfortune of meeting, but Oleg’s sudden hold of her and how his strong hand seemed to almost envelop her whole shoulder, somehow, it made her feel a little safer, a little more like everything wasn’t falling apart around her, a little more like she wasn’t as a lone as she might have previously imagined herself to be.

And it was a great relief, to know she wasn’t as a lone anymore.

“I-“ Oleg’s mouth curved around the sound, not knowing if he was going to ndtrude on something personal, but talk had been going about it around the castle, and truth be told, he was indeed curious about all these stories that went around about his cousin’s serving girl. “Would you like me to help you with your powers? I know Anna has been very busy lately, but if you ever need someone… I can give you a hand, I guess.” He said awkwardly, right hand coming up to scratch at his neck.

Elsa blinked.

She blinked several times.

Had Oleg said just what she thought he’d said? Had a total stranger actually offered to help her –someone he did not know in the slightest- help with something he ought to be afraid of? Was all Anna’s family so _unnaturally kind_ to those they just met or was this just some kind of joke?

“I-I’m still not too good at using them, Mylord.” She tried to steer the conversation into another subject, knowing Oleg could spend his days doing much better things than helping a _serving girl,_ like spending time with his extended family for example, surely he would be happier to spend time with the King and Queen (people he actually _knew_ ) than someone he wasn’t even aware existed until a few weeks prior. “I wouldn’t want to hurt you.” She hastily added, knowing she did certainly not want a repeat of what had happened with Anna the first time the princess had encouraged her to try and freeze something.

True, Elsa could proudly say she’d gotten considerably better at wielding her powers since Anna had talked her into trying, but still, they were sometimes unpredictable, and while losing control with Anna was one thing, losing control and unintentionally hurting her cousin was something she would rather not risk. The princess hadn’t been angry at her the first time, nor had she ever reported the incident to her parents (thank the Gods above), but what happened if she were to hit Oleg by accident? How would he react? What would prevent him from turning on her and viewing her as an abominable monster like so many had before? Elsa didn’t think she’d be able for it, not after experiencing how nice he was being to her.

That was another thing she’d grown to learn of quickly, in the cruel world in which she’d been forced to grow up. Men had a hatred for anything they felt was different from them or did not know well enough, it was a fear they tried to hide by putting on a mask of hard, distorting once nice and kind smiles into vicious snarls, and the blonde had learnt the lesson that behind each kind face could also lurk a monster much too quickly, for one that age. While Elsa did not want to imagine Oleg capable of being as such too, her personal experience had her refraining from venturing any further into his request. He was being extremely nice to her, and she would rather not ruin what they shared if she could help it, even if she were to disappoint him in the process. Better disappoint him than hurt him.

Maybe one day, when she would at last be able to use them with total control, maybe then she would show her ability, to him and to the whole world, but not right now. It wouldn’t be safe.

Oleg put up his hands, backing off before Elsa might think him intruding on a personal terrain of things she did not wish to share. After all, he was completely all right with her refusing, as, after all, this was her decision, he wasn’t about to force her into something she did not wish to do, he’d been taught that nothing good ever came of acting as such anyway.

Elsa bit her lip when she saw the older man retreat, realizing that turning down his attempt to help her must have hurt him, and she inwardly cringed. _Why do I keep turning people trying to help me away?_ It wasn’t that she didn’t want any help, it was just…

“Surely you would rather spend your time helping princess Anna plan the festivities for her ceremony, wouldn’t you?” Anna was his family, after all, how could she fault him for wanting to spend time with her? Sure, it might hurt, seeing the princess’s laughs and smiles, the ones she would once so freely give her, directed to someone else, but Oleg had a right to share in his family’s happiness, didn’t he? “She’s your cousin, after all.” She supplied, taking another small bite out of the chocolate cake on her plate. Oleg had already finished his ages ago, wolfing down the whole treat in less than a minute, which put even Anna to shame on her hungriest days.

“Oh I came for Anna but I’m certainly not about to put in my two cent for the ceremony, if I do Gods know Anna will never leave me alone!” Oleg laughed, “I love my cousin, but I don’t know that I’d be able to put up with a hyperactive twenty year-old birthday ceremony planning enthusiast. No thank you, I’d much rather spend time getting to know the place and actually get to meet people, it’s a lot less taxing.” He winked, casually bringing an arm to rest on the back of his chair.

“Besides, that makes me free to help you along, if you need. Don’t you want to give it a little try?” He nudged, the same excitement bubbling behind his eyes, so similar to his cousin’s that Elsa just couldn’t resist.

Elsa ducked her head, feeling she somehow needed to hide the small smile creeping onto her face. Bur she just couldn’t help it, the past weeks had been so lonely despite the servants and Kristoff’s best attempts to include her in their conversation. Something had just been missing, something she couldn’t quite point out, and now that Oleg was offering it to her, Elsa could at last make the most of the impromptu enthusiasm Anna and her family seemed to be able to display for literally everything, and take the world as lightly as the princess had shown her to be capable of. The small weight slowly lifting itself off her shoulders was definitely helping too.

Sending a furtive glance around Kristoff’s shop, making sure nobody was really paying any attention to the two of them (not that anybody was, too busy were they humming their contentment with Anna’s friend’s excellent baking), Elsa took a deep breath before trying to focus, like Anna had taught her to. Put any worries aside, just try to feel it. Was what she had said, and the princess’s voice, although a memory, helped Elsa muster the cold feeling between her hands.

Had she not closed her eyes for concentration, she might have seen the other royal’s amazed expression as he watched, wide-eyed as the small white color grew and grew, until Elsa let it go, sending the ice across the table and straight into Oleg’s half-finished cookie, freezing it down to the core. Well, he probably won’t be wanting to eat it after this… She thought, trying to muster an apologetic smile to the young man, but proud none the less, seeing how she had managed to limit the extent of the ice.

For some reason, it felt a lot easier when talking to people, as if it were something natural, akin to a second skin, a part of her Elsa could control with her brain like she moved her arms and legs, and seeing all of her progress pay off was definitely worth it when it was accompanied with Oleg smiling. That Anna had smiled after months and months of practice, in a way, she could understand, the princess had grown accustomed to Elsa being able to wield powers, but that a near stranger wasn’t looking down on her ability, even when she had just clearly displayed that she couldn’t entirely control it yet, that wasn’t what she’d been excepting, and it warmed her to the core.

“Well!” He chuckled, “I must say, that’s something indeed! I can get why my cousin told me so much about you in her letters, it’s not every day one comes across such a rarity! That’s really an amazing gift you have there!”

_Gift._

Hearing it said by a stranger made it feel a little more real. For so long, Elsa had always been told that her powers were something unnatural, something she was cursed with and were something she ought to fear. Yet here was Oleg, someone she knew not six months ago, someone who knew nothing of her (for she had certainly not been willing to let him in on her past before being Anna’s servant, not yet at least), accepting it as it were the most normal thing he’d ever seen.

And maybe it wasn’t. It was a hard conclusion to come to, especially when trying to believe it often brought back voices of men and women who had looked down on her ability years back, but now that she had actually gotten help, gotten to see her powers in a different light, Elsa was slowly warming up to the idea that being an ice wielder maybe wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it was.

It certainly had brought quite a few smiles, which was a massive improvement if she compared it to a year ago.

“I hope you’ll be able to show me more, sometime.” Oleg said, leaning in slightly, eyes locked on her white hands as if trying to spot where her powers took root (not that Elsa could tell herself).

He hadn’t known what to expect when he’d heard about Anna’s peculiar servant, even less so when word had gone about the castle that she could use magic, and he’d been a little apprehensive at the start, but when tracing a finger on the uneven trail of ice left on his plate, he really didn’t see any harm in it. On the contrary, why anyone would fear such a thing was beyond him, as Elsa didn’t seem to intend hurting anyone or use her powers against his family. And as long as the young blonde felt happy using them, he didn’t see where the problem was. And if his uncle Agnarr had deemed her safe enough to bring into the castle, there definitely couldn’t be anything to worry about, everyone knew how protective the King was of his daughter, if Elsa was dangerous, he would never have let her near the princess in the first place anyway.

No, Oleg thought, he definitely liked Elsa. It was a change from being around so many of the stuck up nobles he often had to put up with in the North during the many council sessions he was obligated to attend due to his Father’s poor health, and he could definitely see where Anna had worked her magic on the other girl, traces of his cousin’s personality which nobody else would have seen discernible in a few of Elsa’s mannerisms like how the blonde seemed to have developed a fondness for chocolate, for example (definitely Anna’s doing!)

He sighed, it was just such a pity his cousin was so busy. He’d barely gotten to share a few conversations with her, and they’d all been about the upcoming ceremony and how she was set to find a husband as soon as possible. Anna seemed excited about the prospects, often showing him letters signed by counts going by the names of Friedrich or Maximillian, totally engrossed with the fairy tale she could see playing in her head. However he’d be lying if he didn’t say he hadn’t noticed the discreet way Anna would sometimes look at Elsa from the shadows, when she thought nobody would catch her.

And being the smart young man he was, Oleg had started to piece together what had happened, feeling a little sorry for his cousin and her servant. He understood Anna’s position, understood that it was expected of her to take a husband like every other noble young woman who turned twenty-one.

It just seemed a little unfair to him that Anna’s enthusiasm for her royal future seemed to make her momentarily forget that she was maybe forgetting something very important while doing all of her planning.


	13. A Charming Guest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected Southerner shows up at the castle.

The castle was buzzing with activity, not that it was a change from the usual hustle and bustle that went around every day, but as Anna saw for herself that afternoon as she made her way down to the dinner hall, where cousin Oleg and her Mother and Father were probably waiting for her, the palace seemed to suddenly be a thousand times busier than she could recall it being in the past few months.

She knew the reason, her father had been talking so much about the upcoming presentation ceremony for her to know that this was all done in her honor, but still, she couldn’t help but feel embarrassed as the servants tried to deny her offer to help as politely as possible each time she would try to talk them into letting her lending a hand here and there when the opportunity arose. The princess was always up for fun and she knew she would never decline an offer to a party or some other similar event, but as she saw the colorful banners adorning the walls and the multicolored flowers being placed in every corner, and how the servants were taking to dusting the place up and down until she could swear it shone, Anna felt all this was almost a little too excessive. She didn’t need all this done just for her, even if she did appreciate it, of course.

Of course, Anna thought as she reached the bottom of the staircase, this was their job after all, and in a way, it was probably unfair of her to wish to take what they did for a living away from them, but it just seemed so unnatural to her to be refused to offer her service (if only for a short moment, like holding a vase aloft while the duster was passed on the flat surface beneath) when she’d been so used to lighten their daily tasks with her small gesture. In the end, the princess had relented, letting the domestics do their job as she had quickly hopped into the kitchens, discreetly swiping one of the chocolate cakes before slipping out as silently as she’d come in, and had since been slowly munching on it, relishing in the sweet taste of it, as she went down one hall after another, careful to not be in the way of the hard-working attendants, who were rushing up and down in order to get the castle ready for their guest, who would be here any minute now.

She’d barely been able to safely make it down when the Queen came rounding the corner, her face lighting up as she finally found who she’d been looking for.

“Oh, Anna! At last! I was wondering where on Earth you were, the delegation from the Southern Isles will be arriving any moment, you should get ready!” And she’d been about to hurry past her when she stopped. “Do you know where Oleg is?”

It was Anna’s turn to look surprised. She had missed her cousin by barely five minutes according to the servant who had kindly brought her her breakfast in the small room next to the kitchens (the main dining table was still getting it’s last cleaning touches, so unfortunately for her, it meant it was out of order), and she had no clue as to where he could be. Craning her neck so as to see if she couldn’t make him out through the open door to her far right, the brunette was dismayed when she still had sign of the older young man, where could he possibly have gone? Didn’t he know about the Southern Delegation’s arrival today?

_Oh well,_ Anna thought, _he’ll be back later…_ It might not have been proper for a member of royalty to miss out on greeting their foreign guests, especially when (according to her Mother, at least) they were of prestigious standing, but then again, Anna had never been the type to abide by the rules, and if Oleg wanted to have five minutes extra of respite before having to engage in formal conversation and forced politeness, she couldn’t entirely blame him, even though she was more enthusiastic about their guests than he was.

It was strange, she thought, the way you suddenly get passionate about something when you put your heart into it, and with Anna having spent the past three weeks or so exclusively with her Father, trying to help him out regarding the organization of her upcoming ceremony and everything that it entailed, including the welcoming of a delegation from the Southern Isles, she’d grown a lot more enthusiastic about her place as a royal princess and what it entailed for her. That wasn’t to say of course, that she didn’t have any fun anymore, for she still enjoyed popping into Kristoff’s bakery at the end of a tiring day or taking Oleg and Elsa out for a stroll by the city’s river, but her parents had told her how important this visit was going to be, and for Anna, this was her first chance to finally get to act like the future Queen she was meant to one day become, and even if the butterflies in her stomach were an occasional discomfort, it was too trivial a thing to put her off the excitement that the next few weeks were going to be.

However, in the sea of faceless servants frantically going and coming from every side, Anna wished someone would be there to steady her. It wasn’t that she felt queasy or sick, it wasn’t that she let the slight feeling of apprehension take hold of her emotions, it was just… A little reassurance would have been nice. Her Mother was there, smiling, but even Anna had learn to discern truth from lies (it was an essential requisite, if she was hoping to one day become a monarch), and the tight lines around the older woman’s eyes, the way her lips trembled just slightly, the ends not curving up as much as they would were she truly smiling, and the way her Mother kept playing with her fingers betrayed her anxiety and how she was really feeling about all this. And Oleg not being there just added to her worry.

The thing was, Anna had no idea where Oleg was, and now was not the time to go about the town looking for him. Like she had told herself already, he would make his way back, and even though he might not be there to welcome their esteemed guests, well it wasn’t the end of the world, he wasn’t the direct heir to the throne, so it wouldn’t be seen as a great offence on his part (although Anna thought she might pull him aside later for a little talking to all the same). No, everything was _–and would be-_ all right. _Deep breath, Anna, deep breath._

“He’ll come back later, you know how he is.” She tried to sound casual, making the most of the fact that their guests weren’t yet in the castle to calm herself down and get her emotions under check, it would do no good for her to lose her composure in front of them now would it? Yes, Oleg had always been somewhat of a “free spirit”, as her parents called it. While his wild nature had been tempered over the years, as he was now a very dignified young man, that little streak of free-will had never quite been erased, and while it was much more contained than her own, Anna was still glad to see it not totally gone.

Instead of worrying over Oleg, the princess tried to remain calm and composed, knowing it would simply not do if their guests were to see her frantically worrying over the whereabouts of her cousin. Her Father had explained to her the importance of the delegation’s visit, as the Ceremony, in addition to presenting Anna as a future ruler to the people who were to attend, was also to cement ties with the South, on whom they would need to rely for trade in the Winters, seen as food was sometimes scarce here in Arendelle. It was now time for her to see to her duties as Princess, put to practice everything her parents had been teaching her for the past twenty years and especially adopt a respectable conduct, her Father having taken her aside several times over the past few weeks to give her tips as to how to act around dignified guests.

The sound of a carriage stopping just outside their front doors and the ringing of several trumpets announcing the arrival of their visitors had Anna straighten up, and with a quick glance to her Mother for support, the princess held her breath as two servants went to open the large front doors, their massive weight seemingly taking forever to pull back. The princess only had a moment to bite her lip and anxiously finger her dress in the hopes that it was perfect before the carriage door opened, and two men stepped out, carefully patting out their luxurious coats before rising to their full heights (well, if Anna were honest, the first one did, as the second man, obviously older, only came to the red-haired one’s shoulder).

Trying to get a better look at the fist man, Anna leaned forward slightly while attempting to remain as polite as possibly (because staring your guest up and down was definitely not something she would consider “courteous”) but she couldn’t help herself: this was such a big thing for her, and seeing those two men look so… Well so different to anything she’d ever seen in her life, from hairstyle to clothes, she couldn’t take her eyes of the pair as they made their entrance.

The first one was quite short, Anna noticed (and had to suppress a snort, for he did look quite comical). His balding head and the lines etched onto his face no doubt betrayed a certain knowledge, and the large blue eyes behind the pair of spectacles sitting on his (overly) large nose were quite a sight, but none the less, he held himself with dignity and pride, despite his small size, and the princess couldn’t help but feel respect for him, and hope that his stay here would indeed be an enjoyable one.

As he approached her and her parents, he bowed low, bringing a finger to his face to stop his glasses from falling, and paid his respects before introducing himself as the Duke of Weselton.

“Thrilled to make your acquaintance, Sir.” Anna nodded enthusiastically as she shook his hand, glad to see that her good disposition seemed to be reflected in him too. That would make the whole festivities a lot easier to be sure, for it was always easier to get on with someone who made themselves open to others.

“The pleasure is all mine, Milady.” Again, he bowed respectfully and, taking her hand in his, gave it a quick kiss as a way to show his respect before pulling back a few steps to two of his personal guards, nudging the younger man to step forward.

Anna hadn’t noticed him before, but now that he was closer, she couldn’t help but greet him warmly too. As they shook hands, she got a better look at him, and noticed how he had pinking skin around his cheeks, rather thin but expressive eyebrows, as they rose above his eyes as he nodded to her and the small dimples around his mouth as it curved upwards in a smile. It was nice, almost familiar a part of her thought, and Anna liked familiarity, especially with a stranger, as it generally helped putting them on a good start, which was what this whole “inviting other delegations” was about anyway.

“Hans, at your service.” Quiet, maybe a deeper voice than she’d been expecting, but Anna found she liked it, shook his hand a little more firmly, well intent on letting her guest know he was more than welcome here.

“Anna, at yours. I hope you’ll have an agreeable stay here.” After all, it was only good manners to welcome a guest (whoever he or she might be), and if the way his hand fit in hers and the general nice aura surrounding them was something the princess could recall as being somewhat vaguely familiar, she definitely liked it.

“So do I.” He answered, offering her his hand as the King and Queen lead their guests to a more comfortable are, where they would be able to sit down and take it easy, for a voyage from the Southern Isles all the way up to Arendelle was no easy feat, and the Princess held no doubts that their guests, while still standing on their own two feet in order to greet them, must be exhausted, and as a host, it was her duty to see to their comfort.

Holding the door open leading from the main hall to more private area, Anna let her parents, their guests and Prince Hans in, and kept it open a moment longer as she cast a last glance in the hopes her cousin might be following behind them. But as a second and then two and three rolled on and there was still no sign of him, Anna knew she had to follow suit, for it would be improper of her to do otherwise. Sighing deeply, and hoping she would be up for the part, the brunette turned around, and had been about to close the door when a shout echoed from down the corridor.

* * *

It had become somewhat of a habit for him, Oleg realized as he dipped his biscuit in the mug of hot chocolate Kristoff had served him earlier, that he and Elsa stop by their baker friend on their way back to the castle. It hadn’t really been something intentional at the start, it had actually be more of a way to cheer the blonde girl up when she had seemed a little down soon after his arrival, but he had come to enjoy these little outings, and Elsa always made for good company, especially after he’d gotten her to open up to him a bit more.

Of course, he had spent what time he could around his cousin, (for after all, that was why he had come in the first place), but what had started as a brief encounter with her quiet serving girl had blossomed into what (he hoped, at least) could be described as a steady-going friendship. Oleg had never been the most talkative, usually allowing Anna to have the spotlight when they were younger, and making friends had never been an easy feat for him, but the way the blonde had been so approachable when she’d offered to help him settle in had immediately set things off on a good start for them, and he was glad that there was someone else he could spend time with here in Arendelle apart from his extended family. It wasn’t that he disliked his cousin, uncle and aunt (on the contrary, they always offered him the best he could ever wish for), but knowing he and managed to make a new friend _by himself,_ was something Oleg was quite proud of, and with the last few days spent running around trying to prepare dinner tables and bedrooms, he was quite glad for the reprieve.

And besides, he’d grown to really enjoy talking with Elsa. With her, it didn’t have to be about politics or affairs of the crown, it didn’t have to revolve around finding a wife or plans for his future political career, no, he could just be… Well himself really, and that small opportunity was a real breath of fresh air.

They had been down town that morning, Oleg wishing to escape the ruckus the palace would be in and knowing he would rather not be alone, he had asked Elsa to come with him. While the blonde would probably never have dared to decline, he was still glad to see that she had been wholeheartedly agreeing to the invitation of her own accord and did not feel like he was imposing on her, which he did in no way wish to do. His parent had taught him to show respect, whether it be to a high-ranking monarch or a lowly peasant, and Oleg wasn’t about to break that tradition just because nobody was there to watch his back.

And if he were honest, Anna’s cousin felt like the break was doing Elsa some good too. He knew she was still upset over what had happened between her and the princess, and while he understood his Uncle and Aunt’s decision in the matter, a part of him still couldn’t help but feel like it wanted to reach out for her. Granted, Elsa had been adapting as best she could, but he didn’t miss the occasional wistful glances she would send to Anna when setting the table or when she happened to cross her in one of the castle corridors, when the two only shared a hasty and formal “good day”. And Oleg had tried to think of something he could do, but had come up with nothing –such was the nature of politics, the affairs of the country never mixed well with the affairs of the heart, and where Anna seemed to have managed to adapt herself thanks to the upcoming visitors, Elsa, who had nothing to distract herself with, was still struggling.

At least the chocolate cakes Kristoff baked for them made up for the heartbreak… In a way. It wasn’t much, but it was the least he could offer to his new friend, and Oleg had always taught to see to others’ needs whenever help could be offered.

Looking up, he could see that what had initially been a breath of fresh air for Elsa, as coming down to Kristoff’s bakery had allowed her to take her mind off whatever was upsetting her for a while, seemed to have come back, and the empty expression in her eyes as she stared down at her half-eaten chocolate cake made him wish he had the words to cheer her up. Of course, Oleg could say “everything will be fine, you’ll see”, or “maybe Anna will come around eventually”, but how could he be sure? Being a little older than his cousin, he was aware of the harsh reality she was now being confronted to, and he was loathe to lie to Elsa so soon after striking up a friendship with her, it would just be unfair.

“You all right?” He asked quietly, nudging one of the chocolate pastries to her, hoping the small treat might cheer her up somewhat.

“Hmm?” Elsa shook her head, not having even realized that she’d been off in her own thoughts once again.. “Oh, yes, yes, of course. Thank you.” She wasn’t exactly hungry, but took the offered cake all the same, not one to turn down chocolate when it was offered to her, (a bad habit she had picked up from Princess Anna, it would seem).

“You know, I’ve never really been able to appreciate having time off crown duties before now.” Oleg started pensively, and Elsa leaned in slightly, curious as to where exactly he was going with this. “Ever since I was a child, Father would constantly remind me that it was expected of a person of my rank to be educated in politics and other _fine arts_ and insisted that I master swordplay, hunting and horseback riding, and while I won’t’ deny I never took pleasure in my apprenticeship, just being able to sit back and watch the world move of it’s own accord without pulling you into it is a rare pleasure I have truly come to appreciate, and sharing that small moment of respite with a friend is not something I’ve often had the pleasure of having, so… In a way, I just want to say thank you.” And raising his mug of hot chocolate, Oleg drained what Elsa could only guess was more than half of the (rather large) recipient, a small smile of content on his face as he leaned back in his chair.

“And you?” He inquired after a moment of pause, “How did you deal with it, when everything seems to slip out of your fingers?”

Elsa stared at him for a moment, unsure of what exactly he meant. She’d never really found a way to master her powers in the homes of any previous Master she’d belonged to, the utter terror they had inflicted upon her, the threats they made should she not be able to do so were generally what kept the ice at bay, but even then, sometimes when the whole situation became too overwhelming for her, Elsa just let everything go, and the price she’d paid for those few outbursts were memories she would never forget.

With Anna however, it was different. The princess had been slightly nervous at first, unsure how to approach the topic at all, let alone having the faintest idea as to how to deal with it. But unlike anyone else in her life, Anna had been willing to help her, and her showing Elsa that her powers were nothing to be feared but rather, something to embrace, had been the first step the two had made. Once the blonde had accepted what she was and had begun to accept that maybe there was a brighter way to look at the gift she possessed, they had then started working on how to control them. Granted, Elsa wasn’t there yet, but if she’d been told six months ago that she would be able to keep a part of her powers in reign, she knew she definitely wouldn’t have believed it. However, since her arrival to Arendelle Castle, a lot had changed, and her view on the outside world had most certainly improved.

“I-I…” It was a hard answer to give, if she was honest. Elsa knew that while she had gained some control over what she could do, it wasn’t mastered entirely, and there was still that small margin which allowed for loss of control and someone potentially getting hurt, so in a way, no, she did not have full-control over her powers. But she had some, and Anna had been adamant that the blonde ought to focus on the progress she had made rather than be disappointed in the fact that full-command of her powers had yet still to come. “I think she made me see what I had instead of what I did not, and working together and building on that is what helped me gain better control. Little by little, one step at a time if you will.” She answered, and Oleg nodded, understanding. “And I think that learning to appreciate the little that I had and working on that really helped me gain a little more control each day, and I’m very hopeful that while the day may yet be a few years away, that at some given time, I’ll be the sole master of my abilities once and for all.”

“That’s the spirit!” Oleg encouraged, reaching over the table and putting a strong –yet comforting- hand on her shoulder, the slight squeeze of reassurance he added barely noticeable to an outsider’s eye, but Elsa felt warm inside, knowing she had gained the support of someone she’d only befriended a few weeks ago (funny that, how easy it was to create a bond of mutual affection with someone in such a short time), and maybe, maybe one day, she just might be that woman Oleg seemed to see her capable of becoming.

“Say…” She didn’t want to pry nor sound like she was intruding on some personal affair and so she looked down towards her hands, fingers suddenly toying with the edge of the napkin on the table, but bringing up Anna had made her realize how much the sort of invisible wall that had been erected between them ever since the princess was sad to marry had separated them, how much Elsa missed their casual banter and daily routines, the small trips down to Kristoff’s where it would be just the two of them and they would share chocolate éclairs or warm milk, the afternoons spent by the town’s river, just talking about what went through their mind without having to abide by some upstanding social code, all that had suddenly, well, disappeared, and no matter how badly Elsa had tried to catch Anna in some corridor or by the entrance to the diner Hall, the princess had somehow found a way to make herself scarce, and while the blonde didn’t try to ponder on it, the distance between them did hurt, still, despite Oleg’s assistance and much appreciated company.

However, while Elsa might have had thoughts on conversation about the lovely brunette princess back at the castle, as she had looked down to finger the protective fabric of their eating surface, Oleg’s gaze had also followed suit, and upon taking a quick glance at his watch, his eyes widened in alarm.

“Oh no! The reception ceremony, we’re going to be late!”

Elsa barely had a moment to register what the older male had said and form an _Oleg, what-?_ That he was already pulling her to her feet, and before she knew it, the two of them were running down the streets back towards the castle after a hasty goodbye to a puzzled-looking Kristoff.

Arendelle was a town Elsa had really come do dearly love, but right now, she knew she could do without the twists and turns, as each alley they took seemed to lead them nowhere except towards losing their breath, and with the dodging of children and the hasty apologies to any baskets they may have overturned in their hurried frenzy, the blonde was unable to make out anything much until they arrived at the palace’s front gates, a crowd already gathered just in front of them, and, when Elsa peered through the bars, an unfamiliar group of soldiers dressed in grey scattered around the courtyard bringing in what appeared to be various chests and bags of personal belongings –had the guests they were due arrived so early? Elsa had briefly caught wind of an esteemed Southern visitor due to arrive shortly before Anna’s presentation ceremony, but she hadn’t expected him to arrive so early, then again, had there been any last minute changes, she wouldn’t have been the first one to know either, she was but a servant after all.

It was rather a breathless (and quite disheveled) duo that arrived at the gates of the grand castle, and while it was probably not in any way deemed a suitable appearance in which to welcome a guest, even less so an appearance to bear being a nobleman, the guards let the two of them in, and maybe they did raise a slightly skeptical eyebrow, but Oleg was too focused on getting back to his family, to the role of nobility he was expected to uphold, to really notice them.

Shuffling along the entrance hallway as quickly as they could, Elsa trying her best not to trip over her feet in her long purple dress, the two eventually made their way to the long corridor leading to the guest quarters (or at least, from what Oleg had understood, to the room in which the King and Queen escorted their guests when they first arrived), and relief washed over him as he caught a glimpse of the door still slightly ajar, the thin arm holding onto the handle belonging to none other than his cousin.

“Anna, wait!” He whispered hoarsely, panting as he finally reached her, stumbling to a stop in a very un-nobly manner, and whatever discussion that had previously been broached came to a halt, the King and Queen as well as an unfamiliar man peering out the door.

“Oh, Oleg! There you are!” Agnarr exclaimed, relief evident in his voice and his stance, as he opened his arms widely to welcome his dear sister-son into the small group. “We had been wondering where on earth you’d been off to, Anna even started to worry, but it’s good to know you managed to make it back –Oh but where are my manners! Here! Allow me to introduce you to the Duke of Westleton and Prince Hans, of the Southern Isles….”

From where she had stopped, a few feet from the door, Elsa peered in, a wide grin spreading on her face at the small smile that played on Anna’s, it was so lovely to see that the princess seemed to be happy, for the blonde had unfortunately not gotten many glimpses of her (former?) companion in what felt like a long while, and to see her hale and hearty (and so very pretty, with that infectious smile only Anna seemed to be able to muster), made Elsa’s chest warm from somewhere deep inside. Maybe they were separated by an impossibly wide chasm, one neither of them could see, but as long as Anna was happy, Elsa could be too.

“Oh, it’s a pleasure, Milord.” Came a rich, deep, and definitely male voice, and daring to peer in a little further, Elsa was met with the sight of a very charming young man, red air and noble of face, and also gracious in gesture if the small bow of welcoming was anything to go by, yet when he stood up to his full height and plastered a smile on his face after Oleg had expressed his hopes for an agreeable stay, she couldn’t help the inkling that something was _odd_ about him, although she could not pinpoint what exactly it was, yet.

However, the door closed with a soft click before she could get another glance at either him or Anna, and knowing better than to lurk around in corridors (for it would be considered a most rude thing to do), Elsa took a few steps backwards and turned towards the main hall once again, yet the enigmatic grin the stranger – _no, Prince Hans, wasn’t it?-_ had offered unsettled her slightly, and the blonde worried her hands as she went along to see to the evening’s setting of the table, hoping that she might eventually just pass it off as being slightly unnerved by his composure. And if not, then she would just have to hope Anna would still be there to listen to her, for as a stranger, even a mere glimpse of him had shown him to be a most peculiar individual, and if what Oleg had said was right, Elsa could only guess that the next few weeks were sure to be somewhat _peculiar_ …


	14. The Icing On The Cake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa and Oleg prepare a cake for Anna, Elsa hoping it might help mend their broken relationship.

Over the course of the next two weeks, the hustle and bustle had gradually settled down a little, and to Elsa’s delight, Anna had taken her downtown with Prince Hans several times, claiming it was an opportunity for him to get to see the town when the blonde suspected it was rather an opportunity for her to escape whatever political talk was going on behind closed doors.

Not that Elsa would fault her, any chance she had to spend with Anna (even if it now had to be shared with someone else) and make her smile was more than enough for her.

As it turned out, Prince Hans was a lot more charming and nice to be around than she’d initially given him credit for, and his easy smile and talkative nature were sure to lull Elsa in to an air if security, something she didn’t usually develop so quickly around strangers, but was glad to see happen all the same. After all, Anna was always telling her how wonderful it was to make friends and be able to lay back and unburden her royal shoulders for a while in their company, and it turned out that Elsa’s initial skepticism was quickly put to rest, for as it turned out, while the initial unnerving feeling she’d experienced after her first glimpse at the Southern man had yet to totally ebb away, she had to admit that he _was_ quite a chatty person and didn’t hesitate to include her in their conversations.

(And if she caught the longing glances he cast towards Anna over a shared hot chocolate as they made their way down town while she dutifully carried the small bag containing their day’s purchases left her feeling slightly longing for something she felt she’d lost not so long ago, she wasn’t going to mention it, for it was not her place).

However, while Anna’s smile and the fact that the princess had begun talking to her again (and occasionally hug her when her exuberant nature got the better of her–those times were few and Elsa cherished them dearly), the invisible chasm that separated them was still there, and the blonde had never been more aware of it than that time the princess had offered Hans to stop by Kristoff’s place on the way back from one of their sightseeing tours around the town, as the two had sat side by side, the prince’s arm casually draped over Anna’s shoulders, and when the brunette said nothing, when she actually smiled up at him and giggled as she wiped away a stay smudge of dirt from his cheek, Elsa had never felt so alone in the time she’d begin her new life at the castle.

By the Gods, she understood: she was a slave meant to serve while Anna was a princess set to marry (and unfortunately, in aristocracy, there never really was room for the heart to decide: but no matter how many times Anna had told her she cared little for tradition and formalities, she unfortunately seemed to have eventually embraced this one), and Elsa almost berated herself at times for letting become overly attached to someone she knew right from the start had been way out of her league but had let herself fall for all the same…. Because it had been so long since someone had shown some actual care for her.

None the less, whatever love she had for Anna was now deeply harbored in her chest: Elsa knew she would keep it, forever cherish the delicate memories and wonderful times the princess and her had created together for as long as she lived, because those few months they had spent together were undoubtedly the best months of Elsa’s entire life, and they were her life recollections she mostly wished to conserve the most so far. And maybe the situation had seemed quite grim when Anna had first broken the news to her that their shared bond was not something they could keep up (because keeping it while denying what Anna’s duty was would only end up hurting more in the long run, it was better to cut things off early to limit the damage), but Elsa was still grateful that, even now, she was the servant the brunette called upon the most, the one she still had private dinners with and the one she always sought out for advice concerning her clothes. Maybe it wasn’t what they’d had, but the fact that she still seemed to have an important part in Anna’s life, that the princess still wanted her as a friend, it meant a lot to her.

And if she was honest, now that “them” was no longer an option, Elsa just wanted Anna to be happy. And if that was to be found with the gentleman at her side, well the blonde didn’t think there was anything more she could do but hope he would treat her well, because Anna deserved the absolute best.

Besides, if she put things into perspective, things weren’t as grim as she seemed to make them out to be: she still had friends in the form of Kristoff (the baker truly had taken a shine to her, and while Elsa never said it, she really did appreciate the extra croissant he would sometimes slip into her basket of purchases when she was sent down to pick something up for breakfast) and the ever-loving Sven, who always pranced upon her whenever the distinct bell-ring of the shop door echoed as she pushed it open. And Oleg had also become somewhat of a confident too –he’d been open and very understanding towards her after his arrival, and for some reason, the two had begun spending an increasing amount of time together, which Elsa appreciated her, as, while the young man never really said it aloud out of respect for her, he seemed to understand what she was going through, and his silent support was more than welcomed in her times of need. It was nice to have a close friend around.

Of course, Anna still lurked in the back of her mind at times, and the chasm separating them was sometimes hard to deal with (at night, alone in her bed, with nobody to curl into when she felt lonely, or at dinners, catching a glimpse of her in her fine dress and smiling brightly while she passed by to fetch her own meal at the kitchen), but the fact that Elsa was no longer alone to deal with her hurts like she had been for most of her life was a blessing, and Oleg truly had become her best mate and confident, something she wished she would be able to repay him somewhat, even though he had reassured her several times already that there was no need for such a debt.

The royal cousin was a lot more formal than Anna, Elsa had been quick to notice that with how he retightened his posture in the presence of the King and Queen and always addressed the servants (bar her, for some reason) of the castle with a distant formality, something Anna had never quite seemed to be able to do, and it saddened her that the upcoming presentation ceremony of his cousin was veiled over by that need to constantly harbor his royal mask.

Elsa had been a little hesitant at the start, especially knowing that, as a servant, it certainly wasn’t in her place to make suggestion or even request that the prince do something she might want to do, but the distant look in his eyes and the increasing number of tired lines appearing on his face (and Anna’s too, when Elsa stopped to really take a look at her), made it seem like his position of nobility was taking a toll of him, and the fact that Oleg seemed to take no particular interest in talking of trade and politics with Prince Hans when the two happened to e seating in opposite couches in the grand private living room led Elsa to make a decision.

The fact that Oleg seemed to look even wearier as he eventually made it out of the room and closed the door with a sigh only strengthened her resolve further.

“Oleg? Are you all right?” Not wanting to appear too pushy (for, while they were friends, their status was not the same, and Elsa could not be seen addressing him with the familiarity they usually shared in Kristoff’s bakery), she still felt compelled to express her concern however, when she caught sight of his hunched shoulders, dark circles under his eyes and how he seemed to be trying to rub an increasing headache out of his forehead.

He seemed to not have heard her the first time, so Elsa repeated her question a little louder, at which his head shot up almost immediately, and the blonde knew while the smile he bore her was rather fake, she couldn’t help but feel touched that he would still put her concern over his feelings, and she was well set on showing him his looking-out for her did not go unappreciated.

“Elsa? Oh am I glad to see you, I need to get as far away from this room as possible.” He lamented as he dramatically passed his arm over his eyes, feigning exhaustion. Well, it wasn’t a total show, Oleg was rather tired of the political jargon and incessant trading opportunities the Duke of Westleton kept offering them (he must really be in need of an economic partner, it would seem), and trying to remain polite while telling him that certain demands of his could unfortunately not be met when he kept cutting in had become somewhat of a routine, and it was rather frustrating that Oleg had the good manners to not interrupt him.

He had to give it to him though, the old man was a gifted spokesman and a very good opportunist, but his unwillingness to compromise on anything that would be remotely disadvantageous for him was becoming increasingly apparent, and despite his (and his Uncle and Aunt –when she attended their talks) attempts to try and offer him an alternative, things weren’t really getting sorted out between them. And it was rather frustrating, which was why he would rather not spend a moment more in the castle and would actually rather take a nice breath of fresh air as soon as possible, preferably with Elsa if she wished to accompany him.

“What do you think about heading down to Kristoff’s again? I’m sure he could find offer us a nice hot chocolate and a means to get away from all this nonsense talk, don’t you think?”

“Of course, after you.” Elsa offered him the lead, and had been about to follow him when the room’s door opened again, Prince Hans and Anna short on his heels. The young man had his hand in hers and seemed rather insistent they go down the opposite side of the hallway (whatever he was actually saying, Elsa was too far to make out exactly), and for a moment, the blonde was half-hoping she might be able to will her body to take a step towards them, but her brain then reasoned that she couldn’t. That she’d gotten a glimpse of Anna for today, and that the princess was happy, and that she couldn’t not do anything else for her than offer her assistance if ever it was called upon. She felt her shoulders slump in defeat as the two went down in the opposite direction, Anna’s shy wave towards her (and that she only half-heartedly felt herself give back) the only direct interaction she’d had with the princess all day –but hey, it was better than nothing-, but it was hard, to so little of the princess in her life that tiny moments like these made her want to stop time and be with her forever.

Alas, such was the way the world worked for servants like her, Anna was out of her league, and she could only hope that her devoted services would be enough to please her mistress and let the royal know that, if she still wanted, Elsa was still there if she ever needed her.

Oleg, who had stopped in his tracks after realizing his friend was not by his side, had turned around ready to ask what the problem was when he saw how Elsa had stilled, the look of longing in her eyes as his cousin and Prince Hans headed off to see to whatever their plans for the rest of the day were.

True, he had talked to Anna about Elsa, and Anna had tried to spend a little more time with her servant, but with the presentation ceremony quickly approaching and the King’s need to be absolutely sure that Anna both knew what was expected of her on the day and the way he had begun to give Anna a bit more insight as to what would be expected of her once she took up the Crown, there truly hadn’t been much of an opportunity for him to let the brunette in on Elsa’s state –something he now regretted as Anna had disappeared once again.  

Such was the difficulty of having to uphold what he’d been taught as a member of nobility, or so he thought, for when he truly looked at how lonely Elsa must feel, despite her attempts to move on from whatever it was she had shared with Anna and embrace her position as a household servant, he couldn’t help but feel compelled to lend her a hand. Elsa had been nice company to him since he’d arrived, he could surely repay her the favor somewhat if he _really_ tried.

The thing was, Anna didn’t really need the immediate presence of her servant, and he needed to find an excuse to have Elsa talk to her again.

And, judging by how well he knew his cousin, Oleg thought it was safe to assume that if there was one thing Anna was always ready to talk about, it was certainly about the wonder that was chocolate.

“Hey Elsa? What do you say we make Anna a chocolate cake? Think she’d like that?” He offered, and after a moment of reflection, for good measure he added “I’ll even let you have the scrapings if you give me a hand.”

Oleg was positively glad to see his idea seemed to have ignited some spark inside his friends, because if Elsa’s sudden smile at the thought of being able to do something for Anna was anything to go by, she was definitely on board with the idea. Maybe the added bonus of the left-overs were the final push (because Elsa was never one to refuse chocolate, as he’d quickly learnt), but if they were the means to offer her some degree of happiness again, then why not?

“You’ll help me?”

Elsa didn’t really _know_ how to do cakes. Sure, she and Anna had sometimes overseen how Kristoff rolled out his pastry or how he delicately topped his muffins with icing sugar, but they’d never really been the ones to get covered in flour and adding eggs or cinnamon to the pastry to make sure it was perfect, so this was a little new to her, but in the end, the fact that this was something Anna would like, and the fact that she hadn’t really gotten to spend as much time as she would have liked around the princess own over, and the two made it to Kristoff’s, the atmosphere suddenly seeming a lot brighter, and Elsa’s grin plastered in her face not moving an inch.

It was relatively quiet when the door closed behind them, and no sooner had they set a foot inside that the burly blonde man was already in front of them, ready to take not of what they wished and hurry back to his counter.

“We’re not really here to eat, my friend.” Oleg started, rather awkwardly as if he weren’t too sure all of a sudden if what he was asking for was actually allowed. “Rather, Elsa and I had the sudden urge to bake a batch of cakes for Anna, but we wanted to keep it out of sight you see, so we’d rather avoid using the palace kitchens –can’t keep anything a secret from my cousin if we bake there!” He laughed, knowing Anna’s all too developed sense of smell alerting her to anything remotely sweet being cooked in a five-mile radius. No, this was a surprise they wanted to being back for her, and with Kristoff’s nod of approval, the man even offering them to lend a hand given that his rush hour had died down and it wasn’t likely that he’d have any more customers for another while at least, the two of them followed him into his prized kitchens.

“Wow…” Oleg breathed as they entered, Sven close on their heels. “This really is one pristine kitchen!”

“Soooo…” Kristoff said as the other two took in the cleanliness of his workspace (not that he really noticed it anymore, he was used to his workshop being as such, it was a necessity of the trade after all). “Any idea as to what in particular you want to do for her? I do know she likes chocolate fondue, but I don’t know that it would be the easiest thing to ring back to her, with the pot and all.”

“I was thinking of something more along the lines of a chocolate ice cream cake? I know she’d enjoy that.” Oleg offered, nodding towards the refrigerator in the corner, where the cake-master kept his cooler ingredients. “What do you think Elsa?”

“I’d say as long as there’s chocolate in it, she should be fine. But the one with the small ball topping was one she’d told me she really does like.”

No other instruction needing to be said, the cook set about rummaging through his presses and drawers as he set what they would need on the table one by one, careful as t keep everything I order as it would help them in the long run.

“All right, now that everything’s here, I’ll just make some space in the back freezer so we can-“

“No need to worry, Kristoff!” Elsa offered, “I think I might have just what we need right here.” She added, gesturing to her hand. It was a little odd still, being able to use her magic without anyone being afraid, but with Anna and Oleg’s help, she really had come along way and while it wasn’t yet fully mastered, she could control it much better, as the small patch of the table she’d aimed for attested.

“Oh! I’d forgotten about that, that’s really great, Elsa! No need for a refrigerator at all now!”

It was nice, making a light-hearted comment about something she’d feared for so long, and it was even better when Kristoff asked her to use it again while the three of them actually set down to make the cake itself, the two men making one layer while Elsa concentrated on keeping the base cool or Kristoff adding the top chocolate finishes while she froze them in place, and for the first time in a very very very long time, the blonde realized that having this as a part of her maybe wasn’t such a bad thing after all. And if anything, it allowed her to make frozen cakes, which, by the scrapings the three of them shared once they’d finished, was well worth it.

“Do you think there’s anything else we could add?” Oleg asked, glancing down at the very appetizing-looking brown and white cake, but still feeling like it was missing a little personal touch, which was something that Anna always appreciated on her cakes. “You know, just to make it a little more personal.”

“Well, I do have icing sugar you can write with somewhere in here, if you think it might fit on it-“ The baker mumbled as he bent down and rummaged through the bottom cupboard for the fine pipe he sometimes used on special occasions. “-aha! Here it is! Do you want to try?”

Elsa looked up at the offer, half-tempted to leave Kristoff do it himself, as the result was sure to be a lot more elegant coming from someone who was used to handling such a device, but after all the effort she and Oleg (and the baker) had put into the cake, she really wanted to give the last finishing touches herself, and so she took the thin plastic decorator from him, listening to Kristoff’s oral “how to use it” and attempted (for as she soon found out, those things weren’t half as easy to use as they seemed at a first glance) to give it a personal touch coming from her alone.

True, it wasn’t the most elegant to look at, when she finally took her step back to asses her hard work, but with Kristoff’s encouragement that maybe with a few more tries she would get the hang of it (and implying that he was more than happy to have them again if ever they wanted to make any more cakes for Anna), Elsa felt it wasn’t so bad. And she had to admit, the cake truly did look appetizing, Oleg going so far as to say that if it weren’t for his cousin, he probably would have eaten the whole thing by now.

“Maybe I should carry it back then.” Elsa suggested, sending a sly look towards the princesses’ cousin, not trusting him to keep the cake whole by the time they’d reach the castle, “Besides, someone will have to keep it cool, won’t they?”

“True.” Kristoff conceded, and with a false sorry mate look towards the noble man, he gently placed the cake on a plate and settled it into Elsa’s arms. “Don’t need anything else, do you?”

“I think we’ll be fine with this.” Oleg said as he held the door open so Elsa could slip past with the treat in her hands. “But we’ll be sure to drop around again if ever we do need something. Thanks’ again, I’ll definitely be bringing that recipe home with me when I leave!”

“You okay there?” He asked again when he noticed that Elsa was having a hard time keeping the cake straight, despite the passers-by going out of their way to make their line a little more straight.

“Y-Yeah, sure, so long as we get back in one piece, cake included, I should be okay.” She offered. “Thank you Oleg, I really liked that.”

“’Welcome, I’m ready to do it any time again, ‘cause it was rather fun. I haven’t really had fun in a long while either.” He sighed, and not for the first time did Elsa notice how similar he was to Anna when expressing how deeply the burden of aristocracy sometimes bothered them. She hadn’t really gotten to comfort Oleg much since his arrival since had been doing that for her and he’d always been bearing this outgoing smile and jovial personality, but now, looking at him again, she could see him for what he was, a young adult burdened with expectations who was just trying to find a little lightheartedness in his life.

She felt for him then, a pang in her chest she wished she could show him to let him know that his efforts towards her did not go unappreciated and, that if ever he needed her, she would be there for him, but as she was about to open her mouth, the flash of sadness was gone, and, like Anna, he once again bore the mask of the kind foreign prince unbothered by the outside world while battling his inner turmoil by himself. Maybe if she could just catch Anna for a second she might be able to let her know her cousin might need a little time with her, after all, Anna was always kind and ready to help, this wouldn’t be too much to ask of her.

It was with a much more sullen feeling that they made it back to the castle, Oleg still upholding the agreeable demeanor he always bore while Elsa knew he was hiding his own exhaustion. He could probably do with a piece of cake too, Elsa thought after a moment.

“Hey, if you find Anna and the prince, I’ll look after the table in the dining room, how about that?” Might as well offer him some distraction from his own thoughts, even if it was only for a few minutes. However, whether he saw her intention or not Oleg agreed, and it was with a much lighter heart that Elsa set the cake down in the center of the table and went about setting down the plates and cutlery that would be needed to eat. Truth be told, all this _had_ made her a little hungry, she wasn’t opposed to having a piece herself after all.

Concentrating like Anna had told her, she tried to extend her powers to the table, a little disappointed when the ice came out of her hand in a more shaken shape than what she’d managed earlier, but with the cake’s support on top of it, the deformity was hidden, and Elsa had just managed to equally share the snack when the door bolted open, Anna’s hurried steps recognizable from a mile away.

“Really? Chocolate cake?!” Elsa barely had time to straighten herself up for the princess when she felt herself being crushed in a most welcomed embrace. “Oh Elsa! It looks soo good! Thank you thank you so much!” Maybe it was said into her hair rather than to her face, but Elsa beamed at the fact that Ana’s gratitude was like it used to be and that the weeks they’d spent apart had not seemed to have touched much of her high spirits.

The grin she had just for her as she looked at her for a moment was also something Elsa was sure to cherish for the next few weeks if she was honest.

“Oh! Where are my manners-not that I lost them or anything. Hans, why don’t you share a piece with us –thank’s okay Elsa isn’t it? Of course, sure it is, I’ll just… Just leave you this chair here, so that you can, you know, sit yourself down and all that.”

The shake of her head was probably imperceptible, but Elsa was glad to know Anna seemed to be more than okay, especially with how many compliments she gave her after each mouthful of the ice cream itself –especially the chocolate part, she liked reminding everyone that she loved chocolate 9it wasn’t that they didn’t know, but Anna’s enthusiasm was infectious, and the wonderful atmosphere around the table was definitely something Elsa had missed over the past few weeks.

Hans, as she was quick to observe, was rather quiet and reserved. He did express his thanks, as was polite, and he did share his like for the cake, which Elsa found both generous and was glad to hear, but he was just as quick keep to himself and let Anna do the talking, and in a way, she liked it, he was much like herself and she understood the want to stay in the shadows when someone was bright as Anna took the spotlight, for who could fault her really?

Nevertheless, he did engage in whatever conversation Oleg eventually dragged him into, remained polite and courteous, and Elsa eventually saw why Anna liked him so much for she had to admit that he was a good match for her: the rational to her daydreaming, the quiet to her outspokenness, the formal to her extravagance, and if Anna genuinely got the same feeling of inclusion and calmness as she got around him, then she could understand why the two spent so much time together –didn’t mean she liked it, but Elsa was perceptive. And maybe, with a little time and effort, the two of them might become friends too, for if Anna had taught her anything, it was not to be afraid, and while Oleg was indeed wonderful company to be around, Elsa couldn’t help but feel a small tingle in her stomach at the thought that she and the Southerner might be able to become friends too, especially given that he would be her first foreign one, which would be a huge achievement.

Surely friends couldn’t be so hard to make, and if ever Hans showed any signs of being rather difficult to talk into being one, Elsa was satisfied to know she could always buy him with chocolate ice cream, as his empty plate testified his immediate like of her work.


	15. The Hazards Of Being Royalty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anna faces a dilemma, if taking up the crown means forsaking Elsa, is it really worth it?

Six months ago, if someone had told her that taking up crown duties and responsibilities would make her life miserable, Anna would probably have laughed it off and gently told them that, while she appreciated their concern for her well being, royal obligations were something she was more than ready to endorse and see to to the best of her ability. Being the princess of Arendelle and it’s future ruler, her loyalty to the people would be an essential task she would have to pay careful attention to and be thoughtful of when decisions concerning her subjects came around. Six months ago, Anna had thought that she was fully ready to have those responsibilities put on her shoulders and that while they would probably be awkward to balance at times, she would manage to balance them out and keep her head held high and be a figure the people could look to for hope and guidance.

Six months ago, Anna had thought that this presentation ceremony would be one of the most special and wonderful moments in her entire life. It was an even she had pictured in her head over and over again, filled with wonderful music, grand buffets and twirling dresses, of which she was a central part of, of course.

Six months ago, Anna hadn’t even entertained the faintest notion that all of this was naught but a faint illusion of what royal life truly was like. It had all been a grand convincing illusion she’d basked in, entertained day after day wishing that the Grand Ball were already to be held in her honor to have a chance to have her first official dance and have a good reason to be popping into shop after shop in search of the most elaborate gown Arendelle had to offer.

Six months ago, Anna hadn’t the slightest hint of a doubt that she would manage this perfectly in the end. That, while she would undoubtedly have ups and downs in learning the art of being a just and benevolent ruler, she would manage to pull it off and (hopefully) be one of the best rulers Arendelle would ever know, for the people deserved nothing less.

Six months ago, Anna hadn’t ever imagined that taking up the Crown would entail any of these things.

Instead, she now found that the initial excitement and joy she had been harboring at the fact that the upcoming ceremony in her honor was bound to be one of the finest the castle of Arendelle had ever held was ebbing away, crumbling to dust as the reality of what her life as a ruler was quickly shaping to be like revealed itself to her. And the incredible loneliness that was to be her constant companion was something she was finding incredibly hard to deal with.

Of course, as a royal, she’d been told many a time that a Queen does not show weakness, that above all, she is meant to be a figure the people of Arendelle could always look up to, and showing her own cracks behind the mask to them would only make their strength falter. Anna had gradually learnt to master that impassive face, had learnt to reign in her emotions and not let anything out that might not be deemed appropriate for a woman of her stature. Anna was able to offer that image of royalty everybody needed to see when in public.

Behind closed doors, however, was an entire different story. As days went by, the small empty hole she’d felt in her chest when her Father had taken her aside to explain how important it was for the kingdom that she begin to take on that Queen persona grew larger and larger, and as each day went by in which she would spend hours sitting in on political talks and financial decisions made with the Duke of Westleton, she could feel it begin to expand, dig deeper, and the initial hollowness she’d felt as the true loneliness a royal bore in his duties only spread every evening when she would collapse on her (too) large and empty bed..

It was in those moments, when the silence and darkness of her room weighed down on her, that Anna realized how much it hurt to be alone, how much the empty space next to her made her long for the one person she could no longer have –Elsa.

The guilt of how she’d handled their separation ate at her every night. Anna knew that, as a future Queen, it had been the right decision: after all, she was expected to marry and bare children to ensure a future line of rulers for Arendelle. Her title had always entailed such a future, from the moment she was born. However, she hadn’t counted on the ache it would cause in her chest every night as the very real fact that everything she’d promised Elsa, the future they would build _together,_ the future she _wanted_ to share with the blonde as much as the older girl wanted to have with her, was now nothing more than a distant dream she could never hope to make real.

It was slow to make itself known to her, but the missing presence, the supportive smile and the one person in whose presence she knew she could let her royal mask crumble away without having to fear any form of negative repercussion, it was all adding up to what Anna was beginning to miss terribly, and each night as she would bury her head as deeply as she could In her pillow to block out the voices reminding her of her list of tasks for the next day, the princess had never wished so hardly that things were different, that when she woke up tomorrow, everything would return to the way it was: no duties, no expectations, just her and Elsa, living their daily lives _together_ without any looming crown or throne threatening to tear them apart by duty.

Alas, as the days past and Anna very rarely got the chance to even catch a glimpse of her former lover (aye, they may not be together, but Anna was not about to forget what they had once shared, to her, Elsa still deserved to be remembered as someone she had shared something extremely special with, and not a mere servant), the distance between became what the brunet could only see as an impossibly wide chasm, and when days turned into weeks and still, she had not had the chance to talk to the other, Anna began to worry that what they had had was well and truly over.

It was realistic, and if anything, as a Queen, she had to be realistic. And being realistic also meant taking into account Elsa and her own personal feelings in all of this mess. Would the blonde even _want_ her back? The initial answer had been _yes, of course she would,_ because it was Elsa, and Anna knew that what they had shared would never go away, and given the chance to rekindle what they had had, the older girl would undoubtedly prance upon the occasion. But, like almost anything related to love, it was more complicated than that. It had taken her a while to accept, but Anna eventually came to admitting to herself that _she_ was the party who held most of the blame, given that _she_ had been the one to put an end to their affair. It was a painful realization, one she had tried to convince herself was not entirely of her own will (which was true, initially, she had not particularly wanted to be separated from her former servant), but replaying that fateful evening in her mind’s eye, Anna could recall that she had been the one who had not put up a fight when she sided with the line of duty, she had been the one who had expressively told Elsa herself that they could no longer be together, and she was the one who had walked away without any other explanation.

And she was the one with whom most of the blame lay for their shattered feelings.

Realistically, Anna couldn’t just go back to Elsa and apologize and ask for them to take up from where they had left off. Feelings didn’t work that way, and with the small glimpses she had caught of Elsa going about her castle duties, head held high and what seemed to be a genuine smile on her face, she doubted it was in her rights to even ask the other girl for forgiveness, for Anna was pretty certain she was deserving of none, not when she had so callously handle their separation.

She sill tried to smile at her whenever they were granted a moment’s eye contact, she tried to let Elsa know that no matter what the future held for the both of them, that the blonde would always have a place in her heart that nobody else could ever hope to claim, but Anna would never get the chance to actually _tell_ her that in person, and the pain of knowing that Elsa might forever think that it was because she no longer loved her that Anna had told her they could no longer be together made her very soul ache.

Elsa had been though a lot of pain and suffering in her life, that much had been obvious from the moment Anna had laid eyes on her skinny beaten body that fateful evening on her twentieth birthday. Upon seeing her fir the first time, the brunet had promised herself that nobody else would ever get to harm her, neither with fists nor with words, and to an extent that had worked. The servants around the palace had grown to accept and integrate Elsa, powers and all, and it had truly been delightful to see the older girl regain a real pleasure in the mere fact of _being alive_. Unfortunately, the reverse of that coin had been when she had shattered the many hopes and promises she’d made to Elsa of sharing a future with her, and Anna truly hoped that the blonde didn’t just see her as another liar who had gained her trust just to crush it right in front of her like any of her previous masters must have done.

She truly had not set out to heal Elsa with doing such a horrible thing in mind. She just… Hadn’t taken into account the importance of her duties and the very real decisions that went along with being the future Queen, and that invisible chasm separating them now was hurting her as much as it must be hurting the older girl. Problem was, Anna didn’t know how she could ever hope to escape being a Queen without hurting or disappointing her parents and the realm, the approval of which were still something vital to her too.

Impossible situations like this one were most certainly _not_ something she’d ever imagined being a Queen would entail, and Anna absolutely hated it.

The only flicker of positivity she had was that Elsa wasn’t completely out of her life yet (and with a little bit of optimism, Anna hoped she wouldn’t decide to leave the castle at all) –every morning, as she made her way to the council meetings or attended her royal duties, she managed to catch a glimpse of the blonde going about her daily chores, lending a helping hand to the other servants of the household or pointing out directions to a member of Westleton’s delegation, who seemed to have gotten themselves lost in the huge array of corridors Arendelle castle was (it did take some time to find one’s way in here sometimes, Anna understood the confusion). She watched, from behind one of the large stone pillars or peeking around a door, how Elsa’s face would light up when talked to, how she seemed so easy –going and relaxed (much like she had once been with her), how she sometimes let her hand linger on someone’s arm, and as she recalled the ghost of the touches they had sometimes gotten the opportunity to share, the distance between them never felt so large.

The worst of it all, Anna thought, was that there wasn’t anything physically separating them from each other. All things considered, Anna _could_ go to her and chat as much as she wanted, but the brunette knew that all it would do would fuel false hope and would make the inevitable even harder to accept: they could never be together, and while Elsa seemed to have found a way to cope and move on in her life, Anna, who had thought it would be okay eventually, was finding each day harder to get through.

And it wasn’t because of how everyone acted around her –her parents had barely brought the subject back up (probably to avoid pouring salt into the wounds: they knew how much she cared for Elsa but as King and Queen, their duty to the kingdom came first, and the same went for her. They had tried to be understanding that terrible evening, and Anna had to admit that while their decision was still hurting her, at least she seemed to be doing them proud by beginning to walk in their footsteps. Royal business could be a bore at times, especially when it came to financial issues and other complicated things like the trade market, but she had tried to get a hold of the concept all the same, and while she may not have mastered it quite yet, the fact that she was trying seemed to satisfy them at least, for the moment. Anna had actually even enjoyed it, at first, as she had thrown herself head first into all of these new responsibilities and closed herself off to the world around her, trying to get a grasp on what was to be expected of her and attempt to be the best Queen Arendelle could possibly hope for, but as the days went by and still she sat in on meetings and stayed up late to brush her knowledge on various subjects, the initial thrill had son died down, and instead, Anna was left with a sort of emptiness weighing down on her chest, because becoming Queen was all well and good, but it was as she was turning page after page, her eyes dropping slightly as the small candle by her side slowly died down, that she realized how _lonely_ this all was, and just the mere sight she thought she must have been –her, hunched over a dozen of books in the huge library with only a small candle as a means to read- made Anna feel so incredibly small and the amount of responsibilities she was about to endorse so much bigger. And it was in moments like that that she longed for someone she could just confide in –someone like Elsa. Damn did she miss her so very badly.

Elsa, while she might not have realized it herself, had helped Anna gain a lot of confidence while they had shared those past several months together. Anna, of course, had been thrilled to be able to be the one to help the other girl build herself up again, have a new life and open herself up to little things like friendship and every-day joys, she had taken great pride in showing Elsa that life want’ something to be afraid of, and along the way, the older girl had somehow managed to wriggle a way into the very depths of her heart –and the best thing was, Anna hadn’t even minded, in fact it was something that, when she had realized it, had felt absolutely wonderful and special, something she had wished she could keep and nurture for the years to come. Only, everything did have to come crashing down on them at the best possible moment, didn’t it? She thought bitterly as she fingered the rim of the mug of hot chocolate she had fetched form the kitchens.

A few months ago, she would have looked into it fondly, she would have taken it as a sign that everything would be okay and secretly decide to make it her life’s ambition to have Elsa taste every possible combination of chocolate that they could find in Arendelle. Now, as she looked at the steaming drink, it only made her feel a pang of loss and regret, the sweet taste as it hit her tongue only bringing back bitter memories of what she could no longer have. The world was cruel, it was something she’d had to understand quite early on in her life –but basked in an atmosphere of positivity and hope, values she had always wanted to embody and share with the people of her kingdom, Anna had never really thought that doing so would hurt _so much_ at the same time, and while she knew it probably sounded petty of her to think so, as she let her hand rest against the window, she felt it simply _wasn’t fair_ that after everything she’d built with Elsa, it all had to come crashing down because she was next in line to the throne.

The dining room felt empty without Elsa’s radiant smile form across the table, the room felt cold despite the steaming drink, and when she brought it to her mouth, Anna felt the sweet chocolate turn bitter as it hit her tongue, the fading warmth doing frankly quite little to fill in the numbing emptiness she could feel digging a hollow hole in her chest. She sighed as she put it back down, knowing that she ought to be doing something else than wallow in self pity, but as the days for the ceremony were approaching ever faster, what was supposed to be one of the most important days in her life was turning it to absolute misery, and Anna felt as alone as ever.

“Hey. Mind if I join you?”

The voice was soft, quiet and placating even, but in the emptiness of the grand room, it was as if it resonated in her ears, effectively drawing Anna out of her temporary misery.

_Oh, Hans. Right. How long had he been here?_

“S-Sure, pull out a seat.” _Was she stuttering? Anna didn’t stutter, what the hell was wrong with her?_

“You don’t look too good, if you don’t mind me saying so.” Hans said casually, as he draped one of his arms behind him on the chair. “Something wrong?”

 _Well, there went any chances of trying to be subtle,_ Anna thought grimly. No point in lying now, besides, lying was bad form, especially for a princess like herself.

“I shouldn’t be like this, I know I shouldn’t.” Anna sighed, looking down at her hands as her nervous fingers intertwined with each other, trying to relieve the stress weighing her shoulders down. “I know it’s not my place to feel sorry for myself when I have an important duty to see to, especially when I have so much support from everybody, but-“ And at this she stopped, unsure how she was supposed to proceed, how she was supposed to put words to what she was feeling inside?

She already wasn’t dealing with it very well by herself, and with everybody seeing to the upcoming ceremony in _her_ honor, it felt really unfair of her to burden Hans with even more problems, but she knew talking was usually better than keeping everything bottled in. Even if she knew he wouldn’t be able to help (because as much as she wished it might work, soothing words would not repair the cracks of her heart) she was better off having someone she could trust know how she was feeling rather than endure it all by herself.

“It’s Elsa.” She sighed, and as she breathed it out, she felt her body slump, her shoulders hunch over and her eyes droop slightly, as if admitting it, outright saying it out loud that Elsa was her problem freed her body of the strain she’d been putting it under ever since she’d decided to keep her personal feelings and the problems they entailed for her to herself.

She was expecting a raised eyebrow, maybe even a reprimand, something along the lines of having to keep herself together, that her feelings didn’t matter in the grand scheme of things, and that once she took up the crown, her only duty would be to the people, but when Anna peered at the prince from beneath her fringe, she was surprised to see an air of sympathy coming off him, as if he understood what she was going through. And that hint of recognition was something Anna grabbed a hold of, pulling herself up and out of the terrible pit of despair she’d been wallowing in ever since that fateful conversation with her parents, the recognition of someone like her a small light to call her own in all this, and let everything out.

“It’s just –and I know I shouldn’t have any right to say this, because, technically, I’m the one who left her with no explanation whatsoever- I thought that what my parents told me, about putting distance between each other so I could focus on getting ready to take up the crown would make whatever pain our separation might have entailed dull down a little, make it okay in a way, because I knew there was a good reason for it. Only the days past and it only got worse, and I couldn’t talk to anyone about it, because apparently, as crown princess of Arendelle, my job is taking up my father’s mantel and ensuring the kingdom’s prosperity, not helping a former slave or take into account my own feelings on the matter.

I thought it would be easy at first, just put some distance between us, stop talking to her and close myself off, even throw myself head first into my duties to take away any chance of dwelling on it, but… But it didn’t work. Sitting there, reading over letters and treaties, signing papers and reading enlightened books with a candle in my own chambers, it was horrible. The past few weeks have been the loneliest I’ve ever been, and, well, I just don’t think I can do it anymore. You know what I mean?”

Her hands closed around the warm mug, fleeting memories of afternoons spent laughing with the most wonderful person she’d ever met entrapped within it, memories Anna wished she could live again and make real instead of having to treasure something she would never have again.

“I just –I just wish I could tell them that I’m not ready for this. I _want_ to take up the crown, I really do, I _want_ to make them proud, show them that everything they ever did for me actually meant something, that I’m honored to take up the family heirloom… But if I do that, it means that Elsa gets left behind… And I just can’t seem to have one without having to let go of the other.”

The chocolate tasted bitter when she brought the mug up to her lips, an acid reminder of the dilemma she was stuck in, and not for the first time did Anna find herself envying all those beneath her, who had more freedom in choosing their spouses and lovers, who weren’t directed by the need to uphold the family name and who were free to express themselves because they _could_. Because Anna knew expressing what she’d just told Hans out loud would most certainly not befit the expected behavior of a princess, and shaming the family name because of a few words thrown callously around, words she could not reign in because of the hurt she was still harboring inside, was simply an unthinkable route to take.

“Sometimes, we have to make sacrifices.” Hans conceded, knowing he wasn’t really helping, but as from one royal to another, he understood what Anna was going through, and was rather loathe to give her false hope. Gently, he put one hand on her forearm, knowing that in times of need, physical affection could be just as helpful as a few kind words –which was what Anna seemed to need right now. “But _you’re_ the one who has to chose to make them. I can’t tell you which choice you ought to make, for it’s not my place, but know that if ever you feel the need for help, you can always count on me.”

Anna tired to muster up a smile, she really did. She appreciated the fact that in all of this, someone was seeing her for what she was, a person, someone with feelings and aspirations, not simply a vessel for the crown to pass onto.

But then, Elsa also saw her for a person, Elsa had always seen her as Anna before _Princess Anna of Arendelle,_ and not having her now, where her quiet support and honest encouragement were what Anna felt like she needed most was torture. And selfish. But love was selfish, wasn’t it? It was her love for her parents and kingdom that had pushed her to send Elsa away in the first place, and yet here she was, wishing to have her back now of all times, because Anna knew that no matter how deeply the people and kingdom might love her, it would never be the same as what she had (and hoped she still _did_ ) shared with Elsa. Nothing would ever compare to that, and having to let all of it go, box it up and memorize every moment they had shared inside and never be able to do so again, _that hurt_.

Then again, she had also hurt Elsa deeply without ever offering her any explanation, not a hint of an apology or word of comfort towards her, and given the casual smile the blonde had adopted (from what she had gathered from the precious fleeting glances she’d gotten from her when spotting the blonde at her daily tasks), Elsa seemed to have moved on. And for some reason, it had just made the hole in her chest deepen tenfold. Anna knew it was unfair to take the fact that her (former? She guessed that was what the status was at this point) lover had seemingly regained her joviality and free spirit while she wallowed in grief and unyielding duties, but it was simply too hard for her to do the same. Anna didn’t _want_ to move on, she didn’t _want_ to forget, ever, and maybe it was causing her unnecessary pain, but if it was all she could ever keep from her time with Elsa, was it so wrong of her to do so?

“Yeah. So much for sacrifices.” Anna said, feeling empty, the fleeting sweet taste of the hot chocolate but a faint bitter memory of that which she could no longer have now. “Sometimes I wonder if there is such a thing as a happy ending for someone like me…”

Because apparently, a princess could not follow both her wish to make her parents proud and the desires of her own heart, and incessant conflict Anna found herself trapped between was slowly making the (now dreaded) presentation ceremony even less appealing. Because what was a kingdom worth when that meant she would have to leave her happiness behind?

 


	16. Plotting Against The Crown?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Anna's big day approaches, officially picking up her royal duties might just be cause for more trouble than what she'd anticipated...  
> Good thing Elsa happens to be on the lookout.

Elsa was over the moon.

Well, not exactly –if someone had taken the time to ask her whether her life was indeed perfect and to be completely and utterly honest when answering, she probably would have pointed out a thing or two she might not have been entirely satisfied with, but right that moment, as she hurried down the royal corridors with one large and expensive dress awkwardly placed in her hands (and, more importantly, desperately trying to not have it trail on the floor and gather up any dirt), this was quite possibly one of the first highlights she’d had in many a week.

As the preparations ran smoothly, the time seemed to fly by, and before she’d even noticed it, the big day was upon them already, the event itself only hours away from them now. The slightly uncomfortable feeling of having butterflies in her stomach had determinately clung to her throughout the day even though Elsa was pretty certain she had nothing to worry about and she was pretty certain her heartbeat kept picking up speed as she approached the door –which was rather odd, given that this wasn’t even about her in the first place, if there was anyone who ought to be having a hard time of things right now, she would guess that it was probably Anna. What with all this princess duty and all, Elsa gathered that _that_ couldn’t possibly easy to manage.

When Gerda had handed her over the dress, all gentle hands and kind smile and enthusiastic “I hope it’ll be okay for Anna!” she’d given her an awkward grin from behind the garment (for it may not look it, but the elaborate gown did in fact weigh a considerable amount, especially after three flights of stairs) before scurrying off, the old woman’s radiant mood making her think for a while as she weaved her way through the many servants and guests slowly piling up in the castle.

This was going to be a big day for Anna, and the old maid’s words had made it dawn on Elsa that perhaps Anna might need the same enthusiasm and support from her this morning –just a few words of encouragement, they couldn’t hurt, right?. Truth be told, Elsa had no real idea what being a princess truly entailed –after all, being born in poverty and sold off for a few gold coins after her mother’s passing didn’t really call for any glimpses into a life of luxury and royal customs (and she was pretty adamant that it was due to a kind twist of fate that she had ended up in Arendelle castle at all), but she gathered that it was probably a whole lot of burdens and responsibilities that Anna was about to take on, and that a smile, hug and reminder that Anna could certainly do this (because Elsa was pretty certain that Anna could do _anything_ ) would probably be the kind thing to do.

Mind set, she hoisted the slipping garment back into her arms, carefully slipped past one of their Southern guests –recognizable due to his elegant grey coat and shiny emblems engraved on the area around his chest- mindful to give him a respectful bow before coming to half in front of the large green doors of Anna’s bedroom.

She had her left hand fisted and had been about to knock on the door when she pulled her limb back, unsure as to whether she actually _wanted_ all of this after all.

Did Elsa miss Anna? Of course, anyone could have asked her that question, even the King or Queen themselves, and Elsa was pretty certain she wouldn’t have been able to give either of them a respectful answer, the bubble of ache, want and loneliness which had been growing day by day having now become something almost unbearable to live with at times. She wasn’t about to fool herself into believing that actually going in there, getting to be close to her once –what word could she use to refer to what they had once been? A couple? An item? A fling? Elsa wasn’t even sure if there actually even _was_ anything that could truly describe it to be honest, it was too singular and special that she wasn’t even sure she wanted to label it- sharing a room with Anna, actually having the opportunity to have a one-on-one conversation (the _one_ thing she’d longed for ever since that fateful evening) seemed quite scary. And Elsa wasn’t too sure she wanted to deal with that.

Going in there meant facing Anna by herself, nobody around them, just the two of them. And the reality of it all, what they had been and what they were now would be something she would need to accept.

She had thought that she’d dealt with those feelings –hell, she’d been so happy not even ten minutes ago at the thought of just spending time with the princess, yet here she was, cowering in front of her door as an unwanted can of worms –of damned _feelings_ \- opened up again. And Elsa could really do without those right now.

_Dammit Elsa, keep it together!_

She clenched one hand beneath the dress, the cold she could feel burning the tips of her fingers almost a welcomed distractions, anything really but the stupid broken heart she should have by all means come to terms with at this point.

_Deep breath. Deep breath, Elsa. It’ll only be a few minutes, keep it together._

The sound of her knuckles hitting the hard frame of the door was still ringing in her ears when it opened, only a little at first but was thrown back when Anna’s face peered back at her, almost curious at first then beaming with joy when she saw who exactly had been sent to help her.

“Elsa! Elsa come on in!” And she’d barely been able to form a coherent reply and thank you when a gentle hand came to her back and she was ushered inside, the princess gently closing the door behind them both.

Elsa’s eyes widened a little as she took in the bedroom and all of a sudden, the a dull ache erupted din her chest as her eyes swept around the neat, comfortable and familiar place. As she took in the dresser on the left, the piled up papers on the desk in the corner (poor Anna, having to see to all that must have taken a toll on her) and how the receding sunlight filtering through the grand window cast a soft glow on the bed –the one they’d shared once, where they had retreated every night, safe in each other’s arms and most importantly, together, Elsa suppressed a sigh as everything she’d lost and could never hope to gain back (at least, not with Anna) came rushing back to her.

She’d been kidding herself the whole time, of course she’d missed this.

The sharp clap of Anna’s hands made her shake her head and bring her back to the here and now, and as she rounded on the princess, she was disconcerted by the smile she bore. A while ago, Elsa would have prided herself in being able to tell whether it was genuine, real and a reflection of what Anna truly felt, but as she looked at her now, she wasn’t so sure she was able to discern witch one it was. And it was quite upsetting, not being able to understand how someone you truly cared about (very deeply, was it wrong of her to still want to label it as love?) when a few months ago, it would have come naturally.

Maybe she’d lost a lot more than she’d fooled herself into believing by abiding with Anna’s decision after all.

“So, um, today’s the big day hmm?” It was clumsily worded as Elsa tried to push her own feelings aside, they weren’t what mattered right now, Anna was. This was Anna’s special day –and the princess had told her how important this was to her- and she wasn’t about to ruin it because of her inability to move on. Quickly and thanks to a skill she’d had the opportunity to perfect over years of servitude, she plastered a smile –maybe it was fake, but it was a smile none the less, and hopefully, Anna would be fooled for the short while they would be together- a give a false impression of enthusiasm. Or maybe it was real, for Elsa truly was proud that Anna had decided to accept her heirloom and birthright, it was just a pity that such a heritage was not compatible with their feelings.

“Gerda asked me to bring you this, she thought you’d want to wear it.” She offered as a way to change the subject, arms outstretched as she handed Anna the golden laced gown. It brought out the lighter streaks in her hair, Elsa noticed, as Anna took it and retreated to the screen at the other side of the room –not that Elsa would have looked anyway, she was much too modest for that.

It took a while, and Anna’s occasional muffling and cursing and colorful words she sprouted towards the fabric definitely made Elsa smile fondly (she’d missed this too, apparently) and the wide grin resulting from general goofiness and a moment of relaxation –dare she say normality?- all too suddenly froze for an instant before melting into a smile of pure and genuine adoration as Anna awkwardly weaved herself out again, hand clutching the front of her gown to keep some semblance of modesty.

“Hey Elsa, do you think you’d mind…?” Her finger pointed towards her back and the crooked grin and barely-there blush quickly spreading across her cheeks had Elsa shaking her head in earnest fondness.

“Of course, don’t move.”

Elsa’s hands hovered over the buttons for a moment, almost not daring to touch out of fear that the second of newfound closeness would be too much, too painful to deal with because they would barely get a chance to graze the smooth skin before retreating again, and it all seemed like a cruel game to her, tease her with a semblance of the intimacy she’d missed and take it away only a moment later. Yet, as a servant whom had been tasked with something, she couldn’t bring herself to refuse, especially not when it was Anna that was asking, and with a deep breath, she brought her hand to the bottom button, nearly at the base of the brunette’s spine.

The tingle in her finger made her breath stop for a moment, a moment where Elsa basked in their newfound closeness, in being handed back something that had been taken away from her _–them-_ and she let it linger there, her pale skin a sharp contrast to Anna’s pink. Oddly enough, it still seemed to fit, a deep contrast she’d remembered Anna mentioning on one of those first nights, waking some poetic comparison to a sun and a moon or something along those lines (it all seemed so far away now that Elsa wasn’t sure she could entirely remember) and how their hands would fit perfectly in each others’ hold. And how Anna wouldn’t want for the world to have to let them go, because she liked how they fit together.

And now she had a chance to fit their broken pieces back together, but in the back of her mind, Elsa knew it was only for a fleeting moment, in a few seconds, she would have to pull them back, lift them up and away, and the short semblance of completeness, of them being together again would crumble back to the dust it was apparently supposed to be.

So much for hope and second chances, huh.

Shaking her head harshly and scrunching her eyes closed so she would not have to look (feeling was torture enough, actually seeing their proximity without being able to do anything would just add fuel to the flame), Elsa quickly grappled about closing up the rest of the buttons, hands unsteady as the she closed the back of the dress up. Once her hand reached up to touch the base of Anna’s neck, she pulled back, gently tapping the princesses’ shoulder.

“There we are, all done.” It was quiet, and her voice sounded rather sullen even to her (apparently, Elsa couldn’t keep up the fake enthusiasm appearance indefinitely it would seem, and while she knew she ought to try harder, especially today, it just seemed to impossible a task for her to complete right now), so she didn’t bother trying).

Anna looked back up at her reflection, momentarily stunned at how different she looked with all this elaborate and fancy attire now adorning her body. This was not _her_ , the Anna she remembered wanting to be, this wasn’t who she was at all, and the disappointment at realizing that she barely recognized herself felt bitter in her mouth. She was careful to hide it of course (being of royal descent and a princess, she had learnt to master the art of hiding her feelings and adorning a mask reflective of the position she held), but the closer this whole evening seemed get to actually happening, the more Anna felt like everything was about to take a sour turn, which was rather depressing considering she and the rest of the castle household spent so long preparing for this.

Nevertheless, a princess she was and a princess she would remain tonight, and as such, she was quick to cover up feelings that had no place popping up at the moment and plaster the forced smile she’d been taught to put on for formal occasions, rapidly coming up with an appreciative comment to make about the dress.

“Gerda must have worked really hard getting it all mended and spotless, it really means a lot to me that she did it. Mind passing along my thanks if you happen to cross her tonight?” She asked, still half-looking at her reflection in the mirror, head slightly turned to her left trying to catch a glimpse of Elsa behind her, whose fingers were delicately arranging her hair over her shoulder, a long silky ribbon tying it out of her face.

“I’ll be sure to drop into her quarters.” Elsa said sheepishly, taking a step back as Anna got back to her feet, the pair chuckling as the princesses’ knees gave an audible crack.

“Here’s to hoping I won’t have to spend the evening standing up.” Anna commented lightly, in an attempt to ease the atmosphere somewhat and to push down the growing anxiety she could feel in her chest. _Everything will be fine, there’s no reason why it won’t. Stop worrying._

“Thank you, Elsa.” It was sincere, Anna really meant it as she looked the older girl in the eyes, hoping she managed to convey truly how much it meant to have someone she cared about so much get ready for such a huge thing. The prospect of having to uphold the crown and family name in the presence of so many still had butterflies flying about in her stomach, but the intensity had lessened somewhat since Elsa had helped her get ready. She wasn’t really sure how it had worked but the blonde seemed to have relieved her of some of her initial apprehensions, and if Elsa believed in her, surely convincing the crowd waiting for her in the grand hall couldn’t be any harder, right? _Just be yourself, if anything, don’t compromise on that and everything will be okay._

“I guess this is it, then.” A deep breath later, shoulders now set and head held high, Anna reluctantly pulled her hand back from where Elsa had unconsciously been holding it (between both her own, and Anna felt like it should have stayed there, felt like that’s where their hands should belong – _together_ ) trudging towards the door. Once she pulled it open, there would be no going back, she would be officially recognized as the heir to Arendelle and next ruler of the throne, there would be little to no chances of this casual intimacy ever happening again no matter how much she kept telling herself that it was unfair. Once the door closed, it would be over.

Might as well get it behind her quickly then.

It took everything not to look back, to keep staring at the embellished symbols painted on the wall right in front of her, but Anna knew turning back now would just make it all the more harder (on both of them, and she really didn’t want to have to put Elsa through more than she already had, it would just be unfair). Her heart beat madly in her chest as she took the first step over the threshold, back into the real world of a busy servants scurrying about making last-minute check-ups and very noticeable guests chattering about incoherently down the stairs. This was her world now, this was where Anna belonged.

It felt stale, cold, _wrong_.

By chance or pure luck alone (she was not sure which), and anchor of familiarity reached out for her hand before she drowned and Anna whipped her head back as Elsa reached out for her. “Wait!”

“I-I” The blonde fumbled for a moment, as if aware now that they were out in the open that this might not be deemed as appropriate behavior for a servant. A pinkish blush spread across her face, a _cute_ pinkish blush Anna noticed as Elsa’s hand rummaged around in her pocket before pulling out some sort of object wrapped up in a greenish tinted wrapping.

“I thought maybe you might like this.” She said, hands outstretched towards her, the little gift neatly sitting between her palms. “Just in case things get a little overwhelming or something.”

Anna stared at the package mouth slightly hanging open at a loss for words –truth was, she hadn’t expected such a kind gesture form Elsa for tonight, she certainly hoped the other girl hadn’t felt obligated, but as she pulled the string and the wrapping fell open she knew immediately that it was not the case. Formal smile now turned into a genuine grin, Anna picked up the mini chocolate cake from its decorative wrap, biting into it and making the most of the rust of sweetness, the unbidden memories it brought along and just how _nice_ it felt.

“Oh, Elsa, you really didn’t-“

“I wanted to. Thought you might want a little something before heading down. You should probably get down there before everyone starts wondering if the guest of honor might have forgotten their special night.”

“Thank you though, really.” Their hands, which had somehow linked back together, were pulled apart, Anna doing so with much reluctance as they reached the grand door. “I’ll see you later then?” She asked hopefully, about to make her way in, throwing the question back at her as an invitation for them to spend a little while together once the whole official business was over and done with.

“As you wish.” Elsa bowed –and maybe over did it a little, but if it made Anna chuckle, it was worth it.

However, as the doors closed between them, neither one got the chance to see the other’s smile fade from their face as soon as they turned away.

* * *

It still took Elsa a surprising amount of willpower to turn away from the door and take the first few steps away from it without casting a backwards glance after Anna had gently shut it. Her hand still lingered on the handle for a moment as if it meant that somehow, she and Anna were still connected, as if the moment wasn’t over yet –and it was just for just a moment, nobody would notice or mind, right? Eventually though, the guilt at the knowledge that she had duties she was expected to fulfill before the events started and that her being here meant that somebody else was probably covering for her made Elsa pull away, casting one last longing glance backwards before slowly making her way down the corridor. 

Well, to be fair, it wasn’t _as_ hard as she’d anticipate it would be. And the fact that her skin still tingled where Anna’s warm fingers had brushed against it (as if she was somehow _there_ with her right now) made Elsa feel less lonely in an odd way. It was like Anna would be with her for the evening despite not really being there.

_Right, back to I then, Elsa. By the looks of the sheer amount of guests Gerda and the servants will probably need a hand in the kitchens bringing out the buffet._

Once again weaving her way down the corridor trying hard not to bump into any of their guests as she did so, Elsa wormed her petite body through small chubby dignitaries, elegant noblewomen and strong handsome lords, apologizing profusely whenever she happened to elbow one of them by mistake, until she finally managed to make it to one of the back corridors not used by their guests.

Leaning against the wall for a second and wiping her brow she took a moment to recover before heading back to Gerda, head bowed, and the initial thrill and excitement for the evening having sizzled out somewhat since helping Anna get ready. It’s not that she didn’t appreciate the fact that _she_ was the one Anna had asked after –no, that was something that she would trade for the world- nor was it the celebration in itself: as a matter of fact, Elsa had been telling herself that tonight was going to be something absolutely _huge_ for Anna, something, something the princess had been anticipating for a lifetime now, and watching her make her formal entrance as Princess of Arendelle and official heir to the throne was something the blonde was sure would make her proud to see unfold –it was simply the stark knowledge that she now had to accept that after tonight, any particular bond they might have had (even that respectful friendly distance they’d kept from one another since that talk she’d had with her parents), that any special and intimate connection they shared (and that a part of her had perhaps secretly kept hoping they might be able to rekindle) had only been an illusion she’d fooled herself into believing to make the fallout of this whole sorry affair easier to deal with on her end.

And while Anna still obviously considered her a valued and trusted friend, Elsa wasn’t even certain that etiquette would even allow either of them to actually openly display after tonight. It would seem like the society’s conventional rules was certainly out to get them, or that Fate seemed to have a funny sense of humor when it came to her life. Turned out she only now realized that she was on the verge of losing so much more than she’d initially fooled herself into believing (and Elsa scoffed at her own defense, that it would have somehow made it easier to bear in the long run. As if).

_That doesn’t matter now, just… At least try to at least do what Anna asked of you, it will give her that much less to worry about._

Opening the servant’s quarters’ door to Gerda’s wide wrinkly smile and helpful hands was almost a relief as the old woman took the two damaged shawls Elsa had picked up in Anna’s room before leaving, shaking her head fondly and offhandedly commenting that for all her good-heartedness and enthusiasm, Anna’s tendency to be overzealous and, at times, forgetfulness when it came to looking out for herself (going so far as to bring up one of Anna’s embarrassing childhood embarrassing mishaps, a failed attempt at picking a bouquet of roses from the royal gardens to offer to her mother, which had ended up damaging her frilly blue dress more than anything else) was something she’d learnt to accept along with the princesses many odd but charming quirks.

“Oh! But you shouldn’t stay here dear!” She suddenly exclaimed as she looked up from the piece of clothing in her hands, somehow upset at the thought that she might have been keeping the younger servant from seeing to any last-minute duties she might still have on her list. “You should run along and get ready, and-“ She momentarily took hold of Elsa’s wrist before the blonde politely took her leave. “Take this, for the road.” She added with a little smile, rummaging through her apron’s from pocket.

It was a small square of chocolate cake wrapped in a fancy embroidered napkin, probably a left-over from the kitchens.

The fresh memory of having done the exact same thing for Anna not even fifteen minutes ago brought an unbidden smile to her face.

“Thank you.” She said politely, smiling down at the little treat. The tiny sugar rush would probably be most welcome if it would help her keep her on her feet for the evening.

“Good, run along now.” The old woman encouraged, light hand on her shoulder guiding her back out.

And so Elsa once again found herself wondering about the palace corridors, only difference was that this time, she felt a little at a loss as to what to do. She doubted she had any place in the great hall, since it was reserved for the noble guests and other highly ranked officials, she likely had no place there, but neither did she have any other duties to attend to.

At least, the king seemed to have gotten things going, for the corridors seemed to have emptied out in the short space of time it had taken for her to give Gerda Anna’s damaged clothes. The guests must have all gathered around waiting for Anna then.

_Or most of them anyway…_ Elsa concluded when she heard an old scratchy voice just around the next corner. _Maybe he got lost?_ God knew it had taken her a while to find her way about the palace. She’d been about to make the turn when she was able to make out a second voice, slightly younger though barely audible (or making a point in speaking in a hushed tone). Elsa quickly gathered it was the latter however.

“You certain nobody will suspect anything?” The older voice asked, slightly hoarse.

Well that was certainly odd.

Ears more alert, Elsa inched to the left, still making sure to keep her back to the wall and strained to hear as much as she could.

“I made sure of it, I gave orders for one of our servants to be the one in charge of bringing out the refreshments, said he’d see to princess Anna in person for us.”

_“Excellent.”_ And there was definitely a venomous hiss to the tone now, one Elsa did not like and it sent shivers down her spine.

Swallowing the hard lump in her throat, she dared take a peek around the corner in the hopes of catching a glimpse of whoever it was who was talking. She did not like the look of this one bit, especially not with the festivities so close to opening.

She was unable to make out who the man turning his back to her. The person was obviously tall, with a nicely trimmed haircut, broad shoulders , and as her eyes traveled downwards, Elsa quickly gathered why. With the distinct green and black uniform and the golden shoulder pads, the man had to belong to their delegation of Southern guests, not anybody she’d ever had the opportunity to meet in the castle beforehand. He seemed to nod for a second, producing something in his hand and making sure to let his interlocutor know that “He’d handed an exact replica to Francis who’d make sure it found its way into Anna’s cup somehow.”

_What the Hell?_

“And you’re certain this will work?”

“Of course it will. Prince Hans is but a convenient scapegoat for me, by all logic all eyes will turn to him when it comes to pining the blame on someone. Foreign prince lusting after power and riches, poisoning the princess of Arendelle to seize control with his army, who wouldn’t believe such a story? And you make sure to twist it that way.”

“Of course sir-“

“And that’s where I come in.” The smug little voice said snidely, and as he moved aside, and it was as Elsa looked down that she finally got a glimpse of the stranger –or so called stranger. It turned out to be that little man with a grand mustache (what was his name already _Weaseltongue?_ _Whistletong?)_ , who’d caught his interlocutor by the collar and was dragging him to his knees.

“The King and Queen will need to form an alliance against the South once the truth comes out, and who better to help them than me? I’ll have them bowing to my will, and with my good heart and willingness to help, they will only be too quick to offer me a reward in exchange for my services. The crown can be mine, and with it, my friend, we will be rich. _You_ , will be rich… If you pull this off that is.” He added sharply, eyes narrowing on his trembling subject –poor man did not seem to particularly want to do this.

“So, once I let go of you, what are you going to do?”

“Go back to the kitchen sir-“

“Good. And?”

“Make sure to pour this into princesses’ cup as I bring it out.” And he motioned the small red vial in his hand.

“And then?”

“Hand it to her as I congratulate her on her official entry into royalty and make sure she drinks.”

“Good.” The elder man snapped, at last releasing his hold on the younger. “You make sure that gets done, I’ll be sure to keep Hans in close vicinity to take the fall for this.”

The other man seemed to hesitate slightly before a sharp glance from Westleton sent him on his way, his unsteady feet leading him towards the royal kitchens, and it was only when the Duke himself turned around in the other direction –towards the grand hall, where Anna was- that it truly sunk into Elsa.

_They were after Anna and Anna didn’t even know about it and she couldn’t even tell her!_

Stark realization seemed to be the cue her heart needed to begin thumping in her chest madly as Elsa stood there, at a loss as to what to do. She couldn’t just barge in there and outright tell Anna that their guest was about to poison her –it was the word of a servant against a high ranking dignitary, it would never work!- and she couldn’t risk harming his partner in crime, that would certainly backfire to.

But dammit, she had to do _something_ before it was too late! Anna and her might not be anything anymore, but she definitely wasn’t about to _sit back and watch_ a royal assassination attempt unfold right in front of her eyes when she could actually do something. She owed Anna _at least_ that much.

But who on earth could she ever-

_Oleg!_

Oleg hadn’t made it down to the grand room yet, and surely if she let him in on this, her argument would hold more weight against the Duke than her poor servant voice on its lonesome.

Not even thinking twice, Elsa darted down the corridor, too nervous to even care that she might have knocked a servant or two back to apologize or slow down. She needed to find Oleg right now, or what was supposed to be one of the most special events of Anna’s life turn into one of the worst ( _or last,_ she thought fretfully, and that couldn’t happen).

Nobody was about to harm the princess. Not when she could still stop it.

 


	17. Race Against The Clock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Plots are exposed and Anna makes a big move.

The atmosphere in the room was absolutely stifling, and that was putting it lightly.

Anna knew she ought not to have expected anything else –this even was really important, it was for her, it was for the noble families (who had come a very long way for some) to welcome her into her new place in society and was a chance for her to get to know them a little better at the same time- but the big fuss, while it had initially beheld some sort of a thrill for her and had gradually become something she’d been looking forward to, she now realized, rather ironically, that she couldn’t wait for the whole thing to be over and done with so she could run away, back to her own safe private bedroom where she knew she would be shielded from all of those expectant gazes.

Never one to be really shy around people whether they be familiar or mere strangers, it was rather uncomfortable how small this was making her feel just picturing herself, in the chair while surrounded by _so many_ people, and as Anna watched the servants pass by with a copious plate filled to the brink in their hands (sometimes carefully balancing it and almost having it fall, much to the amusement of the younger princes seated at the front rows) and the sheer number of different guests that had turned up, the knowledge that each and every one of them no doubt had expectations of her –ones they hoped she would fulfill since it would be her duty once she stepped into her father’s place- and the sudden weight of it all crashing down onto her shoulders almost left her wanting for breath for an instant.

_Keep it together, Anna, easy does it._

And through it all, that was definitely the worst part of it: keeping it together, showing them all what they wanted to see while at the same time, she felt like falling to pieces on the inside. Oh, Anna _wanted_ to do right by them, live up to her father’s name and legacy, make her parents proud, but as she now felt more isolated than ever, she begun to realize the sheer size of the task at hand (one she would have to undertake alone), and more importantly, just how overwhelming it was. Even the deep calming breath she tried to take in order to convince herself that everything would be okay and that _everything would be fine and that everything would work out_ wasn’t enough this time around.

It was in moments like this that she felt a pang of loss at the fact that she couldn’t simply be _Anna_ , the real woman with a personal life and with her own feelings and emotions, the actual person who stood behind the title of ‘princess and heir to Arendelle’, and that she instead had to suppress all of that inner struggle for everyone else’s sake. The only one person she’d ever managed to let down that carefully crafted façade with had been Elsa –but those distant bittersweet memories, while she cherished them still, were just that, distant memories- and when scanning the crowd in the hopes of maybe spotting her among the guests and the few selected servants that had been tasked with serving them all food and drink throughout the evening turned out to be naught but a disappointment, Anna felt more alone than ever.

They didn’t understand. She didn’t blame them, but as she watched all of the Southern and Western nobles cheering (at the top of their lungs for certain, who must have already been slightly too indulgent with the wine), talking heartily, laughing at some clever twist of tongue or an inside joke she could definitely not hope to make out from where she sat and all around basking in what was, for them at least, a festive atmosphere, without so much as even sparing a glance in her direction –turning a blind eye to her panic, to the building anxiety in her chest and the overall loneliness Anna was drowning in, the whole lot hidden behind a carefully crafted mask- the princess was envious and, not for the first time that evening did she wish she could just partake in their levity, because seeing them all like this (simply _having a good time_ ), while Anna was definitely relieved they seemed pleased with the evening so far, she just selfishly wished for a moment that she could have that too. This was supposed to be a special day for her, was it really too much to ask for?

“You don’t seem to be doing so well.” Has said quietly from beside her, leaning his head in so as to not have to risk someone potentially overhearing them, and it took Anna a moment to actually process the fact that he was talking to her, the buzzing noise of the room certainly not accommodating any kind of small talk. “You need anything?”

 _I need a breath of fresh air. I need Elsa._ But again, to her dismay, the blonde hadn’t magically popped up when her eyes quickly swept over the room for the second time in not even five minutes (was she really that desperate for her to be there? Anna guessed she probably was, at this point).

“You really _do_ like her, don’t you?”

Anna’s panic came to a momentary halt, because damn it, Hans certainly wasn’t supposed to pick up on the fact that she still wasn’t over the ruined potential of what she and Elsa could have –might have, under different and more favorable circumstances-been, but it seemed the Southerner was much more perceptive a chap than she’d initially given him credit for. “Now really isn’t the time for-“

“Now might be the only time.” He whispered tersely, all levity to the conversation suddenly evaporating into thin air. Anna fully turned to him then, not too sure as to what exactly could have prompted him to chose to do so. “Look, you and I, we aren’t all that different from one another, a prince and a princess, we spent most of our childhood with people telling us how to act and what to say, we have big expectations placed on our shoulders and a noble name to live up to which comes before anything else. It’s not the most peachy of lives, but it’s ours. The thing is, you still have a choice, you _can_ still walk away from it if you want to, you can just about do anything until you decide to make that speech in front of all of those people and making the whole thing an official matter. It’s not too late to turn back if it’s what you _really_ want.”

Anna looked down, gave herself a moment to let all of that sink in.

It was nice to have someone like Hans, someone stuck in the same position as her, someone who _truly_ understood how horrible this dilemma she was facing was. Looking back on it, Anna really hadn’t thought things through when she’d called things off with Elsa, she had thought it would be easy (just focus on your duties, forget the heart, throw yourself into the role a hundred percent and everything would turn out all right. Well, look how well that turned out), but when she woke up at ungodly hours in the morning by herself, other half of the bed empty where someone used to fill it, when the ache in her heart at how utterly alone she felt became too unbearable to deal with at times, when the brightest highlights of her days had become those tiny fractions of moments when she’d catch a fleeting glimpse of Elsa’s arm, the end of her braided blonde hair or even the tail of her signature purple dress (just _knowing_ she’d been there) or –when she was lucky enough- the short actual conversations they’d had the opportunity to have, those were the most cherished of memories Anna had of the last few weeks. It only now dawned on her that those had been the moments where she’d felt at home, where she’d felt like _Anna_ , like she was _whole_ since this whole ceremonial business had begun, and despite the efforts she had been dong to control herself, those memories hadn’t faded away in the slightest. As a matter of fact, Anna felt that she was missing Elsa _now_ more than ever.

“I-I can’t.” Anna stuttered half-heartedly, voice definitely lacking in conviction as the words she’d told herself over and over once again made it past her lips. “I wish I could, but I can’t, I don’t have a choice in this.”

This conversation was certainly starting to shape into something she didn’t want.

“I owe it to all of them, those people, they need me, I’ll have to lead them one day, it’s important that I follow in my father’s footsteps and take up his mantel when he will no longer be able to carry it, it’s my _duty_ as princess and heir to the throne of Arendelle, and if the crown comes at the expense of something or someone I was personally attached to _–am personally attached to-_ , well there isn’t much that can be done for it, I simply have to accept it.”

She shot him a strained smile, hoping that he would understand that there truly was no other alternative to this situation that she could think of. People like her, they didn’t have the luxury of going against notions such as duty and tradition, no matter what, surely Hans could understand that.

Glancing back at him, the Prince seemed to have gone quite sullen, eyes strained on his half filled plate as if hoping the appetizing looking food would put him in a better mood, as he kept quiet. Turning back to her own one, Anna wished for the same, for she was quickly finding that there wasn’t much to be happy about in all of this bar maybe living up to her family’s name. Elsa, although she had kept a hopeful eye out for her, still hadn’t shown up, and Oleg… Gods only knew where he’d gotten lost, the empty chair next to her mother still stuck out like a sore thumb and while she doubted her cousin would show up this late, Anna hoped that she’d be able to catch him later to have a word with him about it, and he better have a _damn_ good excuse up his sleeve for missing out on all of this or she wasn’t going to let him live it down, ever.

Anna smiled grimly as she imitated her father, lifting her glass and ducking her head as she acknowledged the room’s enthusiastic toast to her good health, success and bright future (and she quickly found out that she really didn’t like being at the center of attention of such a large crowd)and brought the drink to her lips, the sweet smell the only highlight of this, thus far, rather gloomy evening.

Her dress had begun to itch, the costly fabric grating against her skin beneath and for the third time already, Anna held back the sudden urge to finger it slightly to dislodge the discomfort. The last person to have touched the fabric there had been Elsa, and, as she looked down at her sleeve, Anna could still picture the other girl’s creamy pale skin, her long and delicate fingers carefully adjusting her cuffs so they sat perfectly on her wrist, embracing it’s form, wanting not only for the ceremony to be perfect but for Anna to _feel_ perfect too. In her silent gratitude, Anna drowned out the rest of the noise in the background, as she all too willingly let her gaze be captured by the edge of her sleeve and tried to put herself back in her very own room –away from all the noise, away from the crowd- back to a safe place, where it was just her and Elsa.

It had been intimate, such simple and ordinary gestures they had repeated over and over every day of their life, but there had been something special in the way Elsa had let her finger trail on her shoulder gently as she adjusted the fabric (maybe she was even reluctant to break contact, or maybe that was simply Anna making things up in her own mind, reading too much into it) and it had been like Elsa was treating her like delicate glass, like she was performing a sacred ritual between the two of them –something nobody else was ever to by privy to-, pouring all of her heart into her meticulous task. Anna leaned back in her chair, reminiscing over the swell in her chest at just _how much_ it was moments like these that made her feel so content in merely being alive. Moments where neither of them had _needed_ to utter a sound yet love and utter devotion to one another had been written across both of their features.

And _that_ , was what she missed the most right now, that sense of wholeness, of being with someone who understood her fully and who she, in turn, sort of understood back, the whole reciprocity of the thing that went far beyond gentle to passionate kisses and exchanged “I love yous”. The people here –and more importantly, one person among them, was probably to be her future husband –or at least, both her parents strongly hoped that to be the case- but they wouldn’t understand that connection, she and said stranger wouldn’t ever be able to build that bond she and Elsa had because, well, they weren’t _Elsa_. Anna wouldn’t marry any of those handsome and undoubtedly charming young men out of love, and the lack of a connection between them (which would be something mutual, she to him and him to her) would forever dig an ever growing whole they wouldn’t be able to mend. Never mind the hole she could feel growing in her heart at the prospects of such a life, a life of constant dissatisfaction because the one person she knew would be able to fill it would forever be out of her grasp.

Anna didn’t want this –the mask, the coldness, the distance, the sheer _lack_ of true love that went along with taking up the crown- and as her hand clenched over her knew as she took in all of the utter _fakeness_ of it all, she felt like running, wanted to run far away as she could of something that was completely _not her_ , and which was not the future she wanted to be trapped in until she eventually died at a miserable old age, without ever having had the chance to truly live beforehand. The entrance door was right ahead of her, behind the sea of guests, taunting her with an escape, daring her to just stand up and run, take Elsa and run away and never come back, and Ana’s throat clogged up as she realized just how trapped she was. How trapped she was now going to be.

Life just wasn’t fair, was it?

She brought her hand up to her face, discreetly wiped away the moisture she could feel gathering t the corner of her eye –hoped everyone else would just read it as here simply being overwhelmed with the ceremony, at being utterly happy at the prospects of the world she was now entering and not be able to read past the impassive mask to see the last crumbling shards of a broken heart at the utter defeat of someone having to lose a part of themselves in order to endorse a disguise for the rest of their life. A mask that would rule the their every day, their every decision, their reactions out in public and have to quell their own personal being beneath when wrestling with difficult decisions calling for a little more compassion and humanity. Anna felt like a literal part of her soul was slowly being crushed right in front of her as it cried out for help, for her to fight back and keep it, no not give it up out of an obligation she was forced to fulfill, yet as she sat there, she found herself unable to do anything else besides watch as it happened, pretty certain that it was too late to fix things now.

When she woke up tomorrow, she would be completely alone.

Maybe it was for the best that Elsa had not been tasked with joining the ranks of castle servants whose task it was to bring them the food, Anna wasn’t entirely certain that she would be able to take it, having the one person who had come to mean the world to her (the one person she’d turned away with absolutely no explanation whatsoever) so close to her yet have to helplessly watch as that invisible barrier between them would firstly go up and then slowly tear them apart.

Swallowing hard, Anna reached out for her glass and took a large gulp (not exactly respecting the manners she’d brought up with, but with emotions threatening to take control of her entire body, it was the first course of action she could think of to counter it) and even at that, the cool drink did very little to help. At this point, she wondered if anything really could.

“Ah, Princess Anna, I must sincerely apologize for not coming over sooner, I’m afraid I must confess that I got quite caught up with small talking your esteemed neighbor Count Stephen over there, you’ll be pleased to know that he is enjoying himself immensely. Especially the refreshments, he asked me to pass his most hearty compliments to you and your kitchen.”

Anna offered the duke of Westleton a stiff smile and her hand to shake, knowing that she could not allow her weariness and will to just be out of here tarnish her behavior towards the duke or any of their other guests for that matter. For his part though, he seemed lively enough, little black eyes sparkling from behind his too-big pair of glasses, and she guessed that if at least someone was getting something positive out of all of this then it might just have been worth it in the end.

“Thank you, sir. And how are the chilly winds treating you here, nothing too uncomfortable I would hope?”

“Oh, I’ll quickly be right as rain after I return home, fear not, but I simply _couldn’t_ pass up on such a special occasion. This is a singular occasion, you officially taking up your position as the crown princess and heir to the kingdom of Arendelle, I thought it nothing but polite to assist the great fortune of a neighboring kingdom in person.”

Anna’s features remained crisp, her whole body going rigid as the old man leaned in his eagerness and excitement certainly lending him to be slightly over-friendly towards her, which was certainly not a feeling she was inclined to share, as she all but wished this was over already so that she could scamper off back to her room, if not to get away from the celebration itself than at least to escape the slightly over-enthusiastic duke.

Maybe if she was lucky enough, she could even request after Elsa, share a moment with her, just the two of them.

“Your good wishes are certainly appreciated.” She offered curtly, crossing her fingers beneath the table vainly hoping that it might get him to just _go away._ But of course, as if the evening being nothing but morose and one interminable anxiety fest for her wasn’t enough, her prayers went unheeded, and Westleton seemed to plant himself right there, determined to get a conversation out of her.

“Why, you’ll have to come over and visit us one of these days, see and learn about all of our customs in the South and take some time so we might be able to establish a potentially better maritime route with your kingdom –I know we could get _a lot_ of benefit out of a good deal both you and I- and Prince Hans would surely be thrilled to verse you in our ways. And maybe you might even deem it possible to bring along your dear cousin –what was his name Olgar? Olaf?”

“Oleg.” Anna corrected, clearly not amused by his antiques.

“Why Oleg, of course, forgive me for momentarily forgetting it. But as we brought the dear prince up, it does beg the question, where is the lovely gentleman, I have yet to catch a glimpse of him. Ought he not to be here?”

The question made Anna painfully aware of the vacant chair to her right, her cousin‘s absence something she had initially tried not to let dampen the atmosphere. However, not that even their esteemed guests had noticed it, it really became something to be embarrassed about. Whatever Oleg would come up with later to justify his absence was definitely not going to be good enough to save his sorry skin this time around.

“He must have been held up with someone I take it.” Anna ventured, not really knowing what else she could offer the old man as a means to excuse her cousin’s decision to not show up. It stung as she realized it, that Oleg was going to miss out on this, that there was still this small possibility that he had chosen not to assist the ceremony, which he knew had been something important for Anna. A part of her, the one that was always willing to see the best in people, to give everyone a bright smile and look at things with the most positive outlook possible really didn’t want to believe that –that both Oleg _and_ Elsa had consciously decided not to be here for her tonight- but why else were they (still) not here? The first appetizers had been served, the drink was already beginning to flow, the servants had already pulled out of the room and were headed back to the kitchens for the most part, had he (and the blonde) been caught up in the flow they surely would have made their way to them at this point.

“Oh well, I guess he’ll miss out on the toast then… Which is why I’m here actually. Your Majesties,” Westleton said, briefly glancing to the both her parents, “I have a very special gift for you, your highness.” And Anna watched intently as he signaled over one of his fellow servants from the Southern kingdom (recognizable with their foreign-looking attire) with a gesture of his hand. Very carefully, his thin arms picked up the heavy-looking engraved crystal bottle the stranger brought over on a lavish tray, the sparkly red liquid sloshing around.

“Please allow me and Prince Hans to offer you the very best of our Southern vineyards, especially chosen for you by the Prince himself in your honor.”

“I-I,” To be truthful, Anna had certainly never expected something like this, and for a moment, she felt a little embarrassed at receiving such an obviously expensive gift. _You really didn’t have to_ was on the tip of her tongue, ready to express how out of place she felt, but aware that it would no doubt reflect poorly on her to turn down such an offering –especially one so luxurious- and so she took it with both hands, balancing the surprisingly heavy bottle in her left arm for a moment before bringing up her glass with her right and pouring the content into it.

“To a lovely evening and to your good health.” She offered as a toast when raising the glass to the room, the light of the crystal hanging from the ceiling making the liquid inside shine, and the whole room burst into an echoing sentiment, offering a hearty toast in a uniform cheer. It certainly smelt divine (Anna guessed Westleton must be an expert in all of these things) and once the crowd settled down, her lips trembled as she lifted the recipient, cool rim now against her mouth and about to tilt up when-

_“No don’t!! ”_

The brunette didn’t even have a moment to realize that she’d let go of the glass until the sound of a loud clatter rang in her ears, and, looking down, stunned, to where the carefully crafted pieces now lay, frozen solid.

* * *

Elsa’s beating heart thundering in her ears was the only thing she could vaguely make out as she stood there, stock still, arm still outstretched for a moment, the whole crowd on onlookers staring right back at her, with expressions varying from general surprise to shock to hints of fear. There was a second of confusion, where nobody breathed a sound too busy were they trying t figure out and understand what had just happened under their noses and Elsa swallowed then, hard, painfully aware of what she had just done and just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Punishment of some kind was definitly coming her way, because while Anna maybe understood her and saw her as more than a mere ice wielder, servant or monster –as an actual human being whose wants and desires were worthy of being taken into consideration when it was possible- these people probably didn’t, and it was as her actions were sinking into them that it dawned on her that saving Anna’s life might just be coming with a very steep price, one Elsa had certainly not entertained before using her magic to freeze the pristine glass.

The illusion of peace broke then, cries of outrage and fear overwhelming the room as everybody began to panic, making for the walls and windows on either side, as far away from Elsa as they could possibly get out of fear of being the next ones to meet a similar fate to Anna’s glass while Westleton’s screechy high-pitched voice cried out in outrage over theirs, _“Get it! Bring the monster over here!”_

Elsa barely had a moment to process the fact that by _monster_ the old man was actually referring to her when she felt two strong arms take hold on her on either side, and knowing better than to try and fight them (which would probably only worsen whatever decision was made a concerning her fate), the pair both escorted her in a less-than-friendly way to the grand table, where Westleton and Anna’s family were still seated. It was embarrassing, a meek servant like her being paraded though so many noblemen and women, who must all be looking down on her as she past (but Elsa would never know, too fearful of meeting their gaze, knowing they simply wouldn’t _understand_ ), and when she and the duke’s guards finally came to a stop, Elsa couldn’t do much either when she was shoved down on her knees none to gently, she simply kept her eyes downcast and didn’t dare meet any of theirs, fearful of jeopardizing herself even further by doing a wrong move.

_“What is this?! What is the meaning of this?”_

Weslteton’s voice betrayed how he felt, shaking with outrage and indignation – maybe it would have almost been comical under other circumstances- as he all but stomped over to her, his little disproportionate body not making him look very intimidating, but Elsa knew better, past experience had taught her that the brutish-looking weren’t necessary the worst. She quickly flinched back as she felt the cool end of a blade against her neck, which forced her to straighten up, and it was all she could do in order to not swallow, to fearful of injuring herself if she did, and given the potential wound location, there wouldn’t be much that could be done if her neck got cut too deeply.

Her cold hands were shaking badly now.

“ _No!_ No, don’t hurt her!”

It was as she saw the silver glinted metal dangerously close to Elsa’s neck that Anna finally managed to get her body to snap out of the paralyzing stupor and stop Weslteton before he did something permanently damaging. Stiffly, she made her way over, as if the trance she’d been a moment ago was somehow still affecting her as she rounded the corner of the table, not caring in the slightest if her decidedly unroyal behavior were to elicit comments from the still stunned crowd. She came to a halt to Elsa’s side, determined to let the duke know that she valued the older girl as her equal, and extended a hand to where it hovered over the older girl’s shoulder, almost touching it, as if it were a silent reassurance that she completely stood with her. Elsa, on the other hand, wished the hand were touching her shoulder, as she thought just grounding her that much more in the here and now might just be what she needed to save her life.

 _“Don’t you even_ dare _lay a finger on a single one of her hairs on her head.”_ It was the first time Elsa had ever heard Anna be well and truly angry and the unmistakable threatening quality of her tone –quiet, sharp, but definitely something that ought to be feared- and when the old man refused to lower his weapon, Anna continued with the same air of royal authority, “Put the blade down, now. I’m sure there’s an explanation for all of this.” For a moment, a flicker of hesitation followed her statement, Anna now knowing she had just put her whole situation in jeopardy over a mere servant, but she guessed she was too far in now, and if saving Elsa came at the cost of her title and the respect of those noblemen and women, well so be it. She was pretty certain now that Elsa was someone worth sacrificing it all for.

“You can’t expect me to lower my sword when that thing could attack me at any moment or-“

“That _thing_ has a name, it’s _Elsa_ , and she is _my_ servant, thus under _my_ protection. You will _do_ as I say, _now_.”

“Do it now.” He father’s crisp and similarly authoritative voice echoing her command gave Anna a little reassurance, knowing that at least he had her back on this decision, that it wasn’t something wrong she’d let her impulse and feelings chose to do without thinking it through first. It certainly halted Westleton, whose hand froze mid-way from reaching for the knife on his plate. “I’m certain that there must be a good reason for this outburst.” And at that, he looked at Elsa with an unusual severity in his gaze, unlike how he’d ever come across to her before, but Elsa supposed the circumstances called for it: she _had_ raised a hand on one of their guests for reasons he knew not yet, to the King all of this likely made little sense. His bushy eyebrows were drawn, frowning almost, and he looked so unlike the gentle man who had taken the very first step in freeing her form a miserable life of slavery by offering her a second chance at Arendelle castle. Elsa gulped in anticipation, definitely knowing that a person of her stature ready to strike a visiting official would not reflect well on any of them, and she could only hope that she’d manage to argue her case convincingly.

“Do you have an explanation for this, Elsa”

She cast a glance towards him, to his apologetic looking wife in the background and finally to Anna, and the worried crease in her eyebrows and by the way she was biting her lower lip to quell her anxiety let Elsa know just how nervous the other young woman was concerning her fate. A fate Elsa had barely thought about when intervening: Anna’s life had been in danger, there had been little other choices she would have made.

However, the King asking her the question personally, asking her before asking Westleton for his version of events, did not go unnoticed by her, and Elsa took it for what it was: he was trying to offer her a chance to talk her way out of this, trying to let her argue her case in front of these people and maybe even giving her a chance to show them that while a servant she may be, there was a lot more to her than merely bringing the princess food or changing her bedclothes. Equally aware that he –and Anna- was also potentially putting his reputation and namesake at stake by choosing to favor a lower-class citizen over an eminent guest like the Duke, Elsa knew she could do nothing more than tell the truth, that-

“The Duke of Westleton had arranged for the beverage to be poisoned, I overheard him with one of his delegation in charge of the catering. I-I know it was not my place to act out when I had not informed any of you beforehand but I-“ And here Elsa faltered for a moment, unable to look anywhere else but at her feet as the stunned crowd went silent, all ears trained on her, “I just, I just couldn’t let him hurt Anna. I know what I did was dangerous, I know that I shouldn’t have used my magic when I could have hurt any person in here, but I-”

Now rambling on and at a loss as to how exactly she ought to finish her sentence, Elsa felt her cheeks heat up as she still kept her eyes locked with the decorated carpet below, the murmurs of indignation and suspicion already flying among the crowd. It was only when she felt something soft on her cheek that she dared look up, right into Anna’s eyes.

Elsa’s breath stopped for a minute, aware that this was the absolute closest that they had been in a very long time and unsure as to what that entirely meant. Was Anna about to whisper to her to run along to the kitchens, wait for her there where she would come in later and address her due punishment? Was she about to berate her in front of everyone? Was she maybe even going to strike her across the face as a reminder to never lash out in such a public way ever again? Or maybe-

She certainly didn’t expect the princess to crush her lips to hers and kiss her passionately in front of everybody, and the wonderful warm swell erupting in her chest at the fact that _Anna was taking her back, Anna wasn’t angry, and that Anna was showing her that she still loved her_ in front of everybody to sink in.

She choked on a watery laugh when they parted, almost doubtful as to whether it had been real or not, but when Anna’s personal little whisper of _Oh god oh god oh god, I’m so sorry, how could I have messed up so much, thank you thank you thank you, thank you for saving my life, I love you so damn much_ and the repeated little kisses to her temple that Elsa let herself give in, her hands momentarily trying to get re-accustomed to the other’s body before fitting perfectly on her shoulders, just incredibly overwhelmed at this feeling of _wholeness_ and _belonging_ that were suddenly being restored to her.

Maybe a happy ending was in sight after all, the noise of the clapping crowd behind them certainly seemed to be in favor of it. Hopefully Anna was too.


	18. Reconciliation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which relationships are mended and the future seems a little brighter all of a sudden.

The revelation of their trusted neighbour’s betrayal had been very quick to send the rest of the room into a panicked frenzy, everyone’s cries of outrage trying to outmatch their neighbors all the while Westleton himself looked rather miserable, as he kept his face down from where he awkwardly stood, under her father’s wrathful gaze. Anna didn’t really pity him though, for while she was usually the one full of compassion and understanding towards those who had happened to wrong her in some way, the old man had tried to murder her _and_ get away with it by framing Prince Hans for his crime (or so he said), and the utter lack of honesty and common decency of simply expressing remorse over his action were really disheartening to someone like herself, who had been brought up   in an environment where honor counted among the highest of qualities a person of noble lineage should display. So no, Anna wasn’t really letting her tendency for compassion come in to play this time around.

Besides, while by no means did she want the man dead (such customs were, after all, barbaric, and held no place in Arendelle), the Duke of Westleton wasn’t really what she was worried about right now anyway.

The momentary outburst did seem to have thankfully drawn most of the guests’ attention, and it was now, as her eyes roamed frantically over the crown, that Anna noticed a mop of blonde hair to be noticeably absent, realizing that Elsa must have taken advantage of the momentum to run off without anybody on her heels. She felt a pang dig in her chest as it sunk in –that Elsa was gone, that the older girl had felt the need to flee out of fear of what might happen to her, and that Anna hadn’t even seen her leave- well aware that if she didn’t find her _now_ , that if she didn’t take it into her own hands to _do_ something, she might have just lost her forever.

No. She’d very nearly let her slip away once, and she had learnt from that mistake, Anna wasn’t about to let that happen again.

With a newfound resolve, she pushed her chair back, discreetly slipping out of the seat by the side, and sliding to the other side of the table without anybody noticing her (not that it was difficult, what with everybody too caught up on trying to get to Westleton in the middle of the room). She made it to the far wall, slowly but surely edging towards the door and inevitable freedom that came along with passing the threshold, and spared a thought for both her parents, and Hans, who no doubt were going to have a hard time trying to calm things down in the most diplomatic way possible. Were she not so desperate, she probably would have stayed by their side, as the dutiful heir to Arendelle and role she officially held, however, Anna had slowly begin to realize and accept that she had other priorities elsewhere (and perhaps it was selfish to go after something that only made her happy as opposed to something benefiting the entire kingdom, but dammit, she knew what sacrificing her personal feelings for duty meant, and she knew that she could not go through with it again. She would always love the people of Arendelle fiercely, but they could never compete with the place Elsa had taken in her heart).

Picking up the hem of her suddenly, too bulky and now suffocating dress, Anna cast spared a last glance at the chaotic scene before turning away.

Closing the door to the noise after stepping over the threshold and leaving the dining room hellhole behind her was an instant relief, as the noise seemed to diminish to noting more than distant echoes of dissatisfaction and mild anger, nothing she was entangled with any longer. Escaping the thousands of pairs of eyes constantly riveted on her also lifted a certain weight from her shoulders, Anna now feeling lighter than she’d felt all evening, finding it easier to breathe as she was now sheltered from the prying gazes. _This_ was freedom , _this_ was what Anna wished she belonged to, not the life of luxury where one had no choice but to accept the lot they were given along with the superfluous customs and traditions, and most importantly, where the matters of the heart had no say (matters Anna desperately hoped she might have the fortune of attending to and repairing now that the choice of renouncing the crown was pretty much official for her).

“Milday?”

Anna almost jumped as she registered the concerned voice, her heart lurching in her chest momentarily before settling down once she realized that it was only the friendly old maid, Misses Gerda. The poor woman seemed to be quite confused judging by the way she was looking at her, her graying eyebrows were drawn and she seemed to be eying her critically. “Is everything all right in there, Miss?”

It wasn’t as if Anna could really tell her with certitude, the whole situation behind those doors was nothing but short of a confused chaos her parents were probably doing their best to appease with the help of Prince Hans or Oleg, wherever he was in the ocean of guests. “I-I’m not too sure. It has something to do with the duke of Westleton I think.” However, like she had decided moments before, the duke wasn’t her priority, and now a little more antsy about getting to the more pressing task at hand, Anna laid a pair of urgent hands on the woman’s frail shoulders. “But Gerda, he’s not important right now, my parents can deal with him. I need to know though –Have you seen Elsa? She-she ran out here not even a minute ago. I need to know, do you have any idea where she went? Did you by any chance see her at all on your way here?”

“Um, I don’t think so, it was only me here. I’m very sorry Miss Anna. Is there a problem?”

_Yes. Yes, and a very big one at that._

_Namely that Elsa had been here moments ago and that not, she was_ gone.

Pushing past the woman (and hoping that she had not been too harsh, for she was but a frail old lady) and making a mental note to come back and apologize later, once everything would be settled down (Anna would bring her a batch of cookies if necessary, she’d even make them herself if that was what it took to make amends), Anna took off down he decorated hall, the numerous portraits’ gazes boring holes in her back as past them by, their eyes almost judging her on having taken so long to finally make a decision about what kind of future she actually wanted for herself and coming to realize that it very much included Elsa by her side. Because for all that she understood the other woman’s presumed need to flee, the sheer possibility that Elsa’s decision to do so under stress and panic could very well had lead the other girl to run away forever was simply too drastic an option for Anna to even consider for a minute.

And so as she ran, Anna liked to think that they would both, perhaps be able to talk it through, come to an understanding between them with words, patience and rationality rather than let the heat of the moment incite them to make decisions they both might regret later. Despite the unwanted situation, Anna remained slightly optimistic, keeping her fingers crossed in the hopes that she could make Elsa understand that she was now ready for both of them to go forward again, and to swear on her honor that there would be absolutely no setbacks this time. This was her _one_ chance to let Elsa know that she truly wanted her back, that she believed in the possibility of a future they could share by each other’s side, and that together, she had every faith that they would pull through. Because Anna had understood how miserable the lack and errors of communication that had passed through them had made them, and was now vowing to never let that happen again. They both deserved something to look forward to, something they could build, hand in hand from this day on.

However, if she was hoping to mend the bridge, Anna knew she had to do so now, that she had to take that initiative herself for she knew that Elsa certainly wouldn’t dare. And it was rather ironic, how she was the one desperate to do all the talking now when it was her lack of words and explanations that had practically landed them in this situation. Back then, she simply hadn’t quite anticipated just how much the notion of losing Elsa would mean to her, she hadn’t understood it until waking up alone in the middle of the night, with too much pressure on her shoulders and anxiety in her stomach. Until she would brush her hair in the morning and look into the mirror and feel the noticeable – _once so familiar_ \- absence over her right shoulder, until she would itch her hand slightly to the left at breakfast, expecting long and delicate fingers to entangle with hers only to be met with a devastating sense of emptiness when it didn’t happen, until she would politely accept Gerda sneaking her in a box of chocolates and have to eat them by herself because the one person she’d learnt to share them with and make such a tiny gesture something special was no longer by her side.

They were small things, probably insignificant to others, but they meant the world to Anna, and meant much more to her than a golden crown or a life of luxury ever would.

That sense of understanding, of equality at having finally found the one person who could see her beyond the pompous-sounding title of _Princess Anna,_ and knowing that she was possibly on the verge of losing it right at this moment was what sent her heart racing as she dashed down the corridor, throwing the doors open to empty room after empty room and her thumping heartbeat drowning out so loud, she could almost believe it was a distraction from it beginning to break.

_Please, please don’t go Elsa! I’m so sorry, for everything! I have to make it up to you!_

It was as she rounded the corner to yet another empty hallway that Anna came to a sudden stop, out of breath. Leaning on the wall for a moment, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, drowning out the echoes from the Hall, trying to think this through rationally.

_All right, keep it cool Anna, you’re way more level headed than this. You_ know _Elsa wouldn’t just leave like that without telling you anything first, she can’t possibly have gone far._

And no, Anna could say with certainty that Elsa wouldn’t just run away without sparing her any last words first. She hadn’t when Anna had (stupidly, she would admit now, without realizing the extent of the consequences it would have on them) put a sudden end to what they had shared together by putting her foot down and literally stomping out the broken remains of what might be left behind. While she hoped that it was not too late to work to get those remains put back together, getting into a frenzy over it right now certainly wasn’t going to help anybody, least of all herself or Elsa, whom Anna knew needed her to reach out to her now more than ever. She had no doubts that if the duke of Westleton’s men got their hands on the blonde before she did, then the prospects of Elsa and herself building a future together certainly weren’t going to be looking very good, for she doubted quite strongly that the man behind the attempted murder on her person would be inclined to show himself merciful towards the one person who had saved her.

First things first though, and that was to try and pinpoint where exactly Elsa could possibly have chosen to hide. Had the blonde been caught in the corridor, she either would have heard it or Elsa would probably have been dragged back to the Great Hall by the guards. Given that it hadn’t been the case, Anna could only hope that it meant that she had managed to flee without being noticed –which Anna hoped gave her an advantage over anybody else looking for her. Knowing Elsa better than anyone, she dared to think that she might have a better chance at finding her first (which was a relief, the mere thought of Westleton’s men getting their hands on her did not raise good prospects). Anna had no doubt that after several months inside the castle, that Elsa had learnt of more than one little place often overlooked by the rest of the servants where she could take refuge in (Anna had too for that matter, especially as a child, when trying to run away after making a game out of distressing her poor caretakers, making many of their hairs turn grey before their time). However, with so many of such places to chose form ,that now left Anna with a slight dilemma, _which one could Elsa possibly have picked?_

Avoiding proximity with the Great Hall was obvious, so she would not have hidden behind in any of the other rooms lining the corridor, it made little sense if keeping her distance was what Elsa had in mind. Leaving the castle all together was another decision she quickly ruled out: with the main entrance doors the only ones open to the outer world tonight, she would have to pass in front of palace guards and the few guests that might not have made it to the ceremony in time and explain herself to them, not the best option for someone on the run.

As she past the stairs leading to the first floor, her bedroom immediately came to mind and in the momentum, she darted up the first flight, foot almost touching the step of the second one before she paused, brought to a sudden halt as brute reality crushed her little fantasy. While her bedroom was certainly not a place anybody would think of searching (much less do so behind her back, those chambers were after all, very much private and _not_ something Anna wished to share with the people of neighbouring kingdoms) and it was a place nobody was standing guard at right at this moment, her bedroom had been a place-

_Had._

It had been.

Her bedroom _had_ been a place that had been meaningful to the pair of them once upon a time, Anna realized with a sudden pang of sadness. She had cherished –still did- the memories both she and Elsa had shared and created there, sheltered from the outer world’s prying eyes. They had helped her keep going forward, had been something she’d taken comfort in re-living every night when she returned to her empty bed as she tried to re-create that same feeling that had so easily bloomed between them. But the truth was, her bedroom no longer was that place anymore, it had ceased to be so when Anna had let the words ending what Elsa and herself had been tumble out of her mouth without grasping the consequences, and now once again realizing the sheer depth of what she was losing (because it was no longer just Elsa, it was a whole life they had shared together and so much more) sent a new stab of pain deep in her chest.

_Well, Elsa, it seems like you’ve run off with a big part of who I am there._

Not that Anna particularly minded. If Elsa wished to keep a token of the brief relationship she’d had with Anna, the princess found herself more than willing to give it up despite the inevitable pain it might have brought upon her own person. It was the least she could offer. It was rather ironic how their initial separation aimed at keeping Anna from holding on to something (some _one_ ) that might interfere with her capacity at perfecting her new identity as Queen of Arendelle was now resulting in Elsa running away, forever in possession of a piece of the Princess that would never be brought back.

Perhaps she was only now noticing it because of how seamlessly and easy and _so completely natural_ it had been to let Elsa in that it was taking her leaving for the whole extent of the problem to be unveiled.

Except that Anna wasn’t about to let her leave. Or at the very least, not without talking it through with her first (if Elsa wanted to leave, well that was her right, Anna would never dare to oppose that. It would be wrong of her to seek to do as such, not something befitting of a princess supposed to uphold values such as making one’s choices and freedom), at least understand why Elsa thought running away was for the best when Anna was practically certain that something could be managed to ensure she stay, and if Westleton or anybody else dared oppose her on this, well Anna guessed she just needed to fight them and make them understand that she simply _couldn’t_ go through with losing Elsa a second time.

Resolve and anticipation were all well and good, but that didn’t help her in any way actually _find_ the older girl though, and Anna’s stomach truly did feel like a pack of uncomfortable knots when reaching the end of the next corridor and finding each room to be empty yielded yet again in disappointment.

All right, well Elsa had obviously chosen to keep away from the living quarters too then. Adding to that the Hall and main entrance where she was unlikely to be too seemed to be logical though: she was avoiding places where she could be easily found, meaning that Elsa was probably somewhere nobody would think of looking into _and_ somewhere where there would be little passage at this hour.

And since the chefs and numerous cooks had already rolled in the dessert trays over half an hour ago before joining the festivities themselves –as was normal, they deserved to reap the product of their hard labor- that left the kitchens likely to be empty, _and_ unlikely to be searched. (Did the Duke of Westleton even know where they were anyway?)

It was a big gamble, one that would possibly yield nothing but disappointment, but after reasoning it through, Anna opted to give it a try, and without giving it a second thought, she dashed down the hall, her footsteps now echoing along the way as her lone figure seemed to be the only one to pass through. (At least that made reaching the cooking quarters that much quicker).

 The door was closed when she finally got there, the comforting smell of familiar lingering food still seeping through the slip beneath, and she guessed that the cooks must have not yet begun their tidying up yet (not that she blamed them at all, they were entitled to have a rest and enjoy the festivities.). The lingering odor of roasted mutton and rich sauce along with the amazing chocolate sauce Kristoff had been set to help with for the dessert were all unmistakable, and were she not in such dire circumstances, Anna probably would have let herself daydream a little, imagining herself going through such a feast a second time.

Instead, she pushed the door gently, the creaking almost resonating throughout the empty room. The first thing that she noticed was the absolute _mess_ the utensils were in, with empty pots littered across the big table, some with spoons and knives still in them, while next to them lay halves of tomatoes, carrots and other accompaniments that must not have been used after all. The obvious intense labour that had gone in to making this evening something to remember on parts of the cooks did not go unnoticed by the princess, who made a mental note to thank them profusely for their hard work later.

Shutting the door behind her then made Anna increasingly aware of the utter silence that loomed over the place, so unlike the norm, where the kitchens were usually buzzing with life and activity. Seeing everything so still, so devoid of purpose and abandoned in favor of taking a well-earned part in the continuing festivities upstairs now that their role had been filled for the evening, it was almost surreal to see what was left. The sheer size of what had been used to entertain the guests and see to have them well fed was also something Anna wasn’t used to seeing, for it was not often that such an event was hosted at Arendelle castle, and getting a peek at the people working in the shadows of such a luxurious ceremony truly was eye-opening into the hardships they must have gone through.

“Elsa?” She asked over a pile of pots dangerously close to tipping over. “Elsa, are you in here?”

No answer. Anna swallowed, hard. _Surely she couldn’t be gone?_

_“Elsa? It’s Anna-“_ Oh no, she could feel her voice wavering slightly, the carefully crafted mask she was to bear to the public slowly crumbling to pieces right in front of her as this complete sense of loss kept growing as the silence kept on. “Elsa please, if you’re here, _please_ answer me. I need-I need to-“

_Need to what?_ Tell her she was sorry? That she’d come here to apologize when it was possibly too late already? Tell her that despite her mistakes, that she still wanted her back? That she was ready to begin something special with her from scratch once again?

If only things were so simple.

While she’d been thinking up a hundred ways to tell Elsa how utterly sorry she was for what had happened, she’d failed to entertain the thought that maybe the possibility of rebuilding what they had wasn’t really up to her, that perhaps, Elsa ought to be the one to chose whether or not she wanted to re-ignite the flame they’d made grow together.

And it was now that she found herself in an empty kitchen (of all places) that it was truly dawning on her. She could tell the other woman she was sorry ( _she_ _would_ , and Anna didn’t think there were enough words in their common language to truly  express the sorrow and regret at her single mistake) until she had cried her eyes out and rendered her throat raw for all she wished, it wasn’t up to her. Anna had taken that decision away from Elsa the evening she’d thought it was for the best should they permanently separate, it was only just that Elsa get all the cards in her hand this time around.

“Elsa, are you there?” Her voice sounded meek all of a sudden, the weight of the looming conversation she was to have with the blonde hanging over her shoulder, an ever-present reminder of what she could lose were Elsa to make the choice to truly end things once and for all.

A few moments of tense silence and several heartbeats later, Anna got her answer from behind the stove in the middle of the room.

“Anna?” The small voice, so familiar and so welcomed had Anna’s shoulders sag in relief at the fact that she’d actually found Elsa, that at least, the other girl hadn’t run off and that the now had a chance to talk things through. “Anna, is that you?”

A sliver of hope, it’s almost too good to be true, and Anna almost lunges forward in an attempt to latch on to her, of a mind that if she can physically touch her, take hold of her, then she wouldn’t go. Instead, however, years of approaching things rationally and knowing of the importance of not acting on impulse, Anna stays there, rooted to the ground, has to _force_ herself not to move out of fear that doing so would undo whatever spell this was.

“Yes, I… Elsa I… I need to… I don’t-“ And just like that, the words fail her. Fail her when Anna is usually the one to have an abundant stock of them for her use (sometimes even too many, as was often the topic of jokes around family dinners), and now that she needs them oh so much, the words fail her, the princess failing to find the ones capable of conveying the exact depth of emotions she wants Elsa to know. “I need to talk to you.” That’s it, that’s all she manages, and Anna is aware that if she’s trying to win Elsa back, her poor wording is probably not doing her any favours.

_Damn it._

“I-I now you probably don’t want to see me right now, I’m probably the last person you possibly want to talk to,” She laughs nervously, unsure of where she’s actually going with this, “but… But _I_ need to talk to you. I know you might not care at this point, you’re perfectly entitled to of course, but I needed to tell you something, before you might decide to leave.”

From behind the counter, she can see thin fingers gripping the edge, the surface turning into a shade of icy blue beneath them. Were she not walking on a thin line, she would have been over there in a second, would be telling Elsa that it was okay, maybe even give her a hug (or a kiss, no that was over now) and offer her hot chocolate to help her calm down. But despite the kiss they had shared only minutes before, Anna still felt like things had changed. The only thing she wasn’t sure of was _how_ they had changed.

“I-I screwed up, I know that now, and no apologies from me will ever be enough to tell you how _sorry_ I am for it all. I… I guess I should have talked to you first, I can see that now, but it’s just… This whole become-the-queen thing my parents wanted me to do, _that I thought I wanted to do_ , it’s been something that has ruled my life from the moment I was born, it was something I have always been expected to take up one day. It’s something I always thought I wanted.

Funnily enough, I truly did think it was the future I was meant for until I actually decided to go for it. Please believe me, Elsa, these past weeks without have been the most _miserable_ of my entire life. I thought the crown was what I had always wanted, and only realized that I was running after an illusion when I lost the most precious thing I’d already had without even realizing it.”

At that, Anna saw Elsa’s head peek out from behind the counter and their eyes locked in a moment of silence, a moment where Anna’s body took the last few steps between them of its own volition and she suddenly found herself crouching down in front of the other girl. The look she was giving her, however, was not something Anna could read, and the little ball of anxiety in her chest grew as she apprehended Elsa’s response.

“I…” She looked down then, unable to hold the intensity of the other girls’ gaze, instead tentatively locking their hands together on Elsa’s knees, a familiar gesture she almost sobbed at finding again, “I truly am sorry Elsa. I promise that I won’t _ever_ make the same mistake again. _You_ are my happy ending, _you_ being happy is enough for me, and I promise you that no crowns, kingdoms or other trivialities of the kind will ever make me commit such a mistake again. I’m ready to fully give up the crown of Arendelle, if you wish to have me back, that is.”

Aware that the decision was entirely up to her now made Elsa nervous, for of all the confrontations between herself and Anna, this _certainly_ wasn’t what she had expected. On the one hand, she could feel her chest bubbling with excitement at the thought of igniting the flame she had thought extinguished for good not that long ago, but on the other hand, the remaining anxiety at the possibilities of such unfortunate circumstances pulling them apart again (ones Anna might not entirely be able to counter by herself) was still there nevertheless, to anchor them in the real world, one where both of them had learnt that the matters of the heart did not always come out on top.

However, the earnest expression in the princesses’ eyes, the way her breath seemed to have stopped as she waited for her answer and both of their thundering heartbeats echoing in the empty kitchen almost made it easier. Anna didn’t have to say anything for Elsa to see that, while the world might be against them, the brunette was still determined to fight to keep them together, and that… Well surely that was enough for them to last, right?

“You would… You really would want to leave the crown behind _for me_?”

The sincere nod and lack of words that followed, Anna demonstrating with a gesture that she was truly committed to stand by her decision were enough to reel Elsa back in without the blonde feeling like she was doing this out of some sense of obligation. Anna wanted this, but Elsa wanted this _too_ , she hadn’t given up on remaining on good terms with Anna after their brief separation and she wasn’t about to do so now either.

Instead, she mirrored Anna’s widening grin, giving her partner the biggest one she could manage, and, hands on both of her shoulders, pulled her in for the sweetest kiss she could ever dream of, heart fluttering madly in her chest and tightening her hands into the other’s gown so as to not let her go, ever. _This_ was the start of their future, right now, sealed with a kiss as a promise to be forever by each other’s side.

Perhaps kissing in the kitchens wasn’t the most romantic of places, but as they pulled apart and Anna raised an eyebrow, asking, “What do you think about celebrating with a box of chocolates, I think Gerda often hides some in the second press to the right.” And the mischievous wink that followed along with Anna taking hold of her hand (both fitting as perfectly together as they had the first time), had Elsa finally feeling like this was home once again. That despite the little mishaps they’d had along the way, they had made their amends, and now had a bright day ahead of them, together.

The box of chocolates certainly didn’t last long.

Later sharing them on Anna’s bed, both of them recreating a sense of an almost-lost intimacy and lighting the spark of love between them into something akin to a blazing flame all the while they both giggled and laughed in each others’ arms, well away from the ever scrutinizing gaze of the high nobility, was only the first little moment they subsequently learnt to treasure all over again.

Not that they were in any haste, Anna’s decision now more than clear and the pair of them having come to a mutual understanding and choice to take things slowly, actually _take the time_ to truly appreciate the little things that made being together so special, was something they were both looking very much forward to exploring in the near future.


	19. Home Is Where The Heart Is

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elsa and Anna turn a page and begin building something new.

When Anna opened her eyes the next morning, it was to a warm and very cosy bedroom, the bright sun pouring in from the grand glass window on her right, casting it’s golden rays onto the fancy blue motifs decorating the walls around her. As Anna watched the duke and Persian blues intermingle together in what was an abstract work of art by the shadows dancing on the hard wall, she sighed deeply, feeling content, and overcome by a sense of both utter placidity and eagerness to begin this new chapter of her life. A chapter she had _chosen_ to write for herself by taking things into her own hands.

Indeed, her decision to renounce to the crown of Arendelle had been made official, the royal duty now falling on her cousin Oleg’s shoulders, and to everybody’s relief, the transition had gone rather smoothly. She had nonetheless been well aware of the lingering traces of disappointment in her parent’s faces when she had signed the royal scroll in an elegant signature beholding to the privileged upbringing she’d been lucky enough to get, thus formally handing the power over to her extended family, but Anna had been certain that both her mother and father understood where she was coming from and the reasons behind her decision, which they both respected. Her father had made it that much more evident when declaring himself that his daughter’s happiness was what mattered most to him (and the subsequent hug Anna had given him demonstrated all of her love and gratitude towards the one man who had raised her and loved her all though her twenty years). While she knew that there might be a little lingering tension around the dinner table in the upcoming weeks, Anna was fully prepared to face it, especially when the weight on her shoulder reminded her why exactly she had felt compelled to make such a choice.

Looking down, she smiled, almost on impulse. Elsa was still soundly asleep, dark long lashes closed beneath a mop of tousled blonde hair (hair that Anna would take delight in combing and taking care of later, if Elsa so wished), and her placid and serene features filled Anna with an unexplainable urge to smile –if Elsa was at peace while lost in her own subconscious world of dreams, then Anna could venture to say that she had done something good, that they were on the right path, and when she looked back up to the almost-shining window again, the future had never seemed to bright to her. Almost absently, Anna brought a hand to Elsa’s cheek, her long fingers barely daring to bring the smooth pale skin beneath for fear of disturbing the obvious placidity Elsa was currently basking in. The physical touch of her skin to her lover’s made what had momentarily seemed to be a picture taken out of an artist’s wildest imagination into something more real, something tangible, as it finally began to sink in to Anna that this was her life now, this image of beautiful calmness, elegant serenity and welcomed companionship were what she could look forward to when waking up every morning.

The adoring smile on her face only widened.

Opening her eyes to this, a moment of shared peace with the one person who she wished to fully give every piece of her heart to – _just the two of them_ \- it held something distinctly special, something nobody else be they from her close acquaintances or from a faceless member of those who made up the society of Arendelle would ever have knowledge of. Now it didn’t feel particularly special to Anna out of the fact that she felt like she was depriving the people of something that only she was experiencing, but rather, it was something that she didn’t _have_ to share with the public eye (while she had decided that she was no longer going to rule her father’s kingdom and take up his title when he became too old for it, Anna nonetheless remained of noble birth despite the path she had chosen, meaning that more often than not, her movements, words and actions were susceptible to be a source of scrutiny and intense analysis and subsequent interpretation from a certain part of the population as a means to pass the time). This, however, this big fluffy bed where it was just herself and Elsa, shielded from the sometimes prying looks from the outer common world, _this_ was something she could call hers _–theirs-_ alone, and Anna felt very little embarrassment at relishing in the fact.

It was odd, how things turned out in the end. As a child, she had often been put to bed with fairy tales of brave princes wearing shiny silver armours, riding atop elegant and strong white horses to come and save the poor damsels in distress and the lovely pair would always end up riding into the sunset together, the promise of living the happiest of lives one could only dream of in the real world looming across the horizon. Back then, when she had still been innocent and completely unaware of the fact that real life seldom was a mirror image of what happened in fancy story books, she too had pictured herself countless times as one of those lucky women, clutching the back of a handsome young man from a good family as the two of them would be galloping through a field of delicate pink camellias or brilliant hibiscus. Of course, things didn’t turn out quite the same way the eight year-old Anna had imagined them, given that Anna now seemed to have found herself taking up the role of the gallant prince charming coming to Elsa’s princess-in-need-of-help rescue. It hadn’t been easy, and Anna would fully admit it: patience and conversation had been needed on both parts to get to know each other at first and later mend the bridge after the poisoned drink incident, however both she and Elsa had persevered, determined to fight for their relationship together, which, while it certainly wasn’t a relationship that was all that conventional in Anna’s esteemed entourage of the upper class sphere of society, it was something both women were determined to make work out in the end.

As if sensing her inner determination and also willing to show her own commitment, Elsa nuzzled her face into her neck languidly before peeling back her eyelids, two endless pools of azure the princess would all too eagerly drown in gazing back up at her, a lazy smile on her thin lips. Anna felt a sudden fuzzy warmth spread in her chest at the gesture and grinned back, almost silently daring Elsa to try and beat her at it.

“Well, look who’s awake?” And she punctuated her question with a feather-light kiss to Elsa’s forehead, effectively making the older girl giggle in the process as Elsa’s hand came to the back of her neck gently, pulling her in closer if that were possible. “Sleep well?”

“Better than in a long time, I have to admit. Hopefully this isn’t a one-time thing?”

“Of course not!” Anna chuckled, her hand playfully swatting the other girl’s pale shoulder. “I can promise you that waking up like this when I’ll be eighty years old and covered in wrinkles will still have me just as thrilled as I am right now.”

“Well, now that you’ve said it, don’t think you’ll be getting rid of me that easily.”

Anna had been about to answer that no, she certainly wasn’t planning on doing anything of the sort, but Elsa stopped her short of doing so by lunging for her, tackling her into a hug and pecking her neck repeatedly, and Anna momentarily froze. Usually, the princess had always been the one to initiate anything remotely intimate between them, as she had gathered rather quickly that Elsa’s rather shy demeanour would stop her from acting out on the impulse, so to be on the receiving end of such an open and genuine display of affection – _genuine and spontaneous affection_ \- from the older girl, making Anna feel appreciated for just, well simply being _Anna_ , was such a reversal of their usual roles that she felt lost for a moment. It felt good though, so good to feel as wanted as she wanted Elsa, to be valued as her own independent person and receive the same loving sentiment that she so easily gave to others. Of course, Anna wasn’t looking for any type of exchange or sense of devotion between them, per se, but feeling someone give her back something she so effortlessly gave to countless others and on the same scale as her, it made the brunette smile as the distinct sound of her beating heart increased at the knowledge of this new level of love she was the subject of. At this love they felt _for each other_.

“I really can’t tell you just how much I love you, you know that?” Her words a quiet whisper, almost lost to the air, as her lips brushed against Elsa’s pale collarbone.

She felt the older girl chuckle in response beside her, and her hand tightened slightly on her shoulder for a moment before it began to brush up and down the length of her arm, the princesse’s delicate touch a silent expression of the depth of her statement without having to utter so much as an added murmur. To re-discover this unique and special complicity they had carefully crafted with her, this closeness that for a time had seemed impossible to recover, it made Anna all the more grateful for what she now had, and all the more determined for the pair of them to work hand in hand, talk things through when it was needed, and simply make the most out of little every-day things so as to turn them into something a thousand times better. It would be a memory, a memory worth remembering that they would one day be able to look back on and laugh about at each other’s side, when they would be old and grey, two ancient women sitting side by side in front of a warm fire, their fragile hands still linked together as they would then look back on the quintessence of their relationship, those tiny moments that would be seemingly trivial to anyone else, but to both herself and Elsa, remembering those little moments would be what cemented their relationship into something pure and true.

Elsa merely ducked her head, embarrassment colouring her cheeks a light shade of pink as she tried to hide behind her strands of messy hair.

“Hey,” Anna cut her short in her retreat, placing one hand at the back of Elsa’s neck and drawing her in for a kiss. Her lips were sweet, they drew Anna in, and in that moment were far more inviting than the finest of chocolates someone could offer her, and the princess clung to them, the hand on Elsa’s skin moving upwards to tousle her hair and the other one moving to her back, bringing her in to close as much distance between them as possible. They had been apart for far too long, and from today, Anna was well set on changing that for the better.

What had started out as a chaste kiss quickly escalated into something far more passionate, both of them giving as much of themselves as they could to the other in an attempt to establish a new basis upon which they could rebuild their relationship, something deep, something meaningful, something they could use to define what they had in something other than mere words. The skin-on-skin contact anchored them there, in a picturesque decor set to frame their new beginning, anchoring them in the present moment, and making them all the more aware that if their future was a sort of ideal they were striving to make happen as best as possible, that it was also something they could _take an active part_ _in_ setting the course on right from that morning.

Or they would have, had a rumble from Anna’s stomach not rudely interrupted them.

“Well, as much as I would like to spend the day here with you, I’m afraid that my stomach seems to have different plans. So, what would you say to the best hot chocolate the royal kitchens can offer and then a special day for just the two of us, you and me?”

The smile she got in return nearly lit up Elsa’s face, her large blue eyes twinkling in excitement as Anna pulled her out of their shared bed, their hands still linked together when they closed the bedroom door behind them.

* * *

Breakfast had been a relatively simple affair, Anna never one for the grand ceremonies when it came to her own person unless it was absolutely necessary (and a mere breakfast was, to her at least, not befitting of such an excessive spectacle), but the ever-present hot chocolate had indeed been welcomed by both of them, Anna so eager to actually go out and about that Elsa had had to point to her upper lip twice for the princess to realize that she had been about to go out with a brown coating covering them, not exactly the most befitting image of a proper noblewoman to give to the public. Quickly licking it away, Anna then took Elsa’s hand in her own –ecstatic to notice that the other girl no longer seemed to fear people touching her- and before Elsa even got the question of where exactly they were going past her lips, Anna had already shut the main entrance door to the castle behind them and lead the pair of them out into the bustling town of Arendelle.

As they ambled down, through people, children, carts, shops and the odd stray animal here and there, it felt like she was being reborn with each breath she took, a new Anna who was now ready to fully chose to relinquish the crown and her title if it meant that she could spend the rest of her life with the laughing blonde by her side, as her equal. Without even thinking, she gently put her hand on Elsa’s bare arm, travelling down until she reached her fingers, linking both of their hands together, and stealing a quick glance to her left showed her that Elsa seemed to have caught on, an earnest smile on her lips for whoever past them by, as if she were proud to be able to show them all that she and Anna were now a unit, that they were happy together, and would be so for a (hopefully) long time to come.

Such a surge of optimism was most welcomed after the last grueling weeks Anna had been through.

Elsa felt her heart swell in her chest as Anna’s soft fingers wrapped around her own, such a different (and better) display than what the brunette had offered her a few months ago. While the overly enthusiastic young girl could still be seen beneath the princesse’s now much more mature features, Elsa noted that that persona seemed to have somewhat tempered don in the time that they had spent apart. It was a little saddening, to no longer see Anna’s eyes fill with brimming excitement at the most trivial of things, such as meeting a stray dog in the street or having a good fortune and finding a lone lost coin on the ground and wondering who it could possibly belong to, such an ability to only see the good and positive side of things had been something she’d been drawn to at the start, and something Elsa had found to be quite endearing after a while. However, as she stole a glance to her left, while Anna’s smile definitely radiated of happiness, there was almost something reserved about it, and seeing that the exuberance she had once had no qualms at openly displaying to the public of Arendelle no longer having it’s place upon her features was indeed quite saddening.

Of course, Elsa understood. Anna hadn’t had an easy time of it at all, what with the unwelcomed will of both of her parents to see her take up the royal crown and duties that ran in her bloodline, and she would be lying were she to say that sneaking glances at Anna during those long and tortuous weeks of separation hadn’t made her heart bleed at seeing the other girl look so lonely and almost obligated to give up that exuberant part of herself to conform to the title she was born to uptake, but it was as Elsa looked at her now –at how Anna held her head high, her shoulders back smile –while utterly genuine- almost painfully pulled back tightly across her thin lips that all of those features she had acquired, mastered, and now came out almost instinctively without Anna even remotely upset at all (no she wasn’t, she was _smiling_ ) that hit Elsa hard.

And it was the ever presence of those features that doubled her determination to help Anna let go of them for good, undo the bad habit. If the princess had been kind, patient and encouraging toward her when it came to mastering her powers and how to adapt and live with concepts such as freedom, friendship and love, then surely Elsa could help undo the remnants of a life the princess had chosen to turn away from.

“Hey Anna?”

The brunette stopped, turned back towards her with a mix of incomprehension and surprise written across her face, and Elsa seized the moment. Bending over slightly, she brought her lips to Ana’s pointy nose, pecked it, and in a flash, she leaned back.

It seemed to have done the trick, as Anna’s momentary initial confusion quickly morphed into a genuine laugh, one that came from the bottom of her heart, her eyes crinkled with happiness, almost twinkling, and her smile widened into what she remembered to be the utter embodiment of gaiety. It was a start, Elsa thought, and as she all to willingly followed Anna’s lead, she decided that this was the way that she could help Anna heal, take her by surprise, when she wouldn’t be able to predict and prepare the response she wanted her body to give, and let the young woman acquaintance herself with the joys of the spur-of-the-moment and of not having to think every minute thing through, down to the last detail. Impulse and unpredictability were, after all, key notions for Anna to re-familiarize herself with, ones Elsa felt the princess _deserved_ to be returned to her so that she too, could fully experience the future moments they had to look forward to.

“Does that mean that I owe you now?” Anna inquired, a hint of playfulness in her voice and one eyebrow raised high on her forehead, barely-concealed laughter dancing on her every word.

“If you want to take it that way... _Maybe?_ ” Elsa ventured, already appreciating the sense of déjà-vu of their banter and of Anna’s more relaxed stature. “We could always spend the day taking a look around Misses’ Freya’s shop, I’ve heard that the latest dresses she’s brought in are selling really well.”

Anna pondered on it for a moment, almost saying yes, but changed her mind at the last second. Today was meant to be just herself and Elsa, just the two of them trying to start again and find a common ground upon which they could build each other up again, together. While talk of new dresses, elegant gowns and rich garbs were more than certainly a topic she could easily go on about for hours and was something she indeed held a certain amount of interest in, it just felt too... _Impersonal_ to sacrifice their first day together for it. Shopping and material goods weren’t something she wished to be at the basis of their reconciliation: too much artifice, too much superfluous details, it was simply... A little excessive. No, Anna would much rather settle for something simpler, more down-to-earth, but something both she and Elsa could shape up to turn it into something unique and meaningful to _them_.

Which is why she came to a stop in front of a very familiar little shop, one they had both taken a habit of dropping in to before Anna had messed things up, and as she held the door open, the little bells and unmistakable high-pitched bark welcomed them as she stepped in after Elsa. Indeed, Kristoff’s little shop hadn’t changed one bit, the ever present lingering (and mouth-watering) smell of chocolate making Anna lick her lips and stomach almost growl in anticipation.

It would have to wait, however, because no sooner had the door closed behind them that an excited bark echoed through the shop and in the next moment, Elsa found herself tackled to the ground, Sven’s wet tongue licking her cheek as the dog’s tail waved from left to right in a fit of excitement at receiving familiar visitors. Anna grinned at the image, her lover (because that was now what she could freely call Elsa, no social constraint whatsoever) laughing, on her knees, as she was pushed back against the shop wall, Kristoff’s large companion’s paws on her dress and its nose nuzzling Elsa’s right cheek. It was sweet, something so childish and innocent, so ordinary and common, but something that nonetheless made Anna’s heart melt and her cheeks feel warm as she watched the smile on Elsa’s face widen as the poor girl tried to calm the overly-enthusiastic animal in her arms by petting it.

_“Sven! Sven, get back here!”_ The burly and angry voice came from the room behind the counter, and the silhouette of the strongly built baker quickly followed suit, Kristoff wiping a trail of sweat from his brow and his face very much reddened by both what must have been hours of hard work and anger at his four legged companion’s mischief. _“Sven, come he-Princess Anna?”_

The sight he made was almost comical, with his eyes wide open in utter confusion and his mouth half way closed, Kristoff truly was one of those men who happened to have quite the particular features, ones Anna had grown fond of and had been many a time a source of amusement for her. (Not that she would ever tell her dear friend as such out of fear of upsetting him any further than he was already).

“Oh god, Princess Anna, I’m so sorry –Sven, get back here!”

“Hey, hey, it’s alright.” Elsa tried to offer amidst her giggling as Anna and Kristoff eventually managed to pull Sven away, the embarrassed shop owned sending him to his basket in the back, the animal keeping its head and eyes downcast as it saw to its punishment.

“I’m really sorry, Sven can be a little overbearing sometimes.”

“No harm done, I’m still on one piece.” Elsa offered lightly, as she took hold of the other blonde’s extended hand and let him pull her back to her feet.

“So, what can I get you two? The usual hot chocolate and cakes? Or the new cinnamon biscuits perhaps? They’re really selling well at the moment.” Wiping his hands on his smudged apron, Kristoff lead them back to the counter, gesturing to all the confections he had to offer, each pastry looking more appetizing and inviting than the one next to it. The man truly was a master in the art, Elsa mused, as her eyes roamed over the array of different colours and shapes decorating the treats’ toppings.

“You do know that you can call me Anna, and _just_ Anna, right?” The brunette next to her said, smiling, no doubt embarrassed at being referred to by a title she no longer wished to hold. “There is no need for formalities between us, we’re friends, and equals.”

“Afraid old habits die hard, to many of us here in Arendelle you’ll always be our Princess Anna.” And Anna felt her face flush at the confession, unsure as to whether it was due to embarrassment or due to the knowledge of how deep her people loved her. “I’m not going to lie, it’s great seeing the two of you back here together though.”

“Yeah, yes, I’m really happy we managed to sort things out, “Anna said earnestly, grateful that the topic of her noble stature had been dropped, and her hand unconsciously reached out for Elsa’s, taking hold of the other’s fingers. “But we’re both in it for the long run now, and no princes, no dukes, no balls or anything else along that line are ever separating us again.”

“Do you want to take a seat? I’ll bring you the hot chocolate as soon as it’s ready.” Kristoff asked, already gesturing to the empty table to their right, the one right next to the clear glass window.

“Ah, we’re not staying.” Anna answered a little awkwardly, hoping to not upset their friend’s hopes, as she held her hand up to stop him in his tracks and not wanting him to go to the trouble of making them something neither one of them would be staying for.

“We’re not?” Elsa inquired to her left, a newfound curiosity in her eyes as she stared back at Anna, slightly puzzled by the princesses’ sudden decision.

“No, we’re not. There’s something I need to do, that _we_ need to do, and unfortunately, we can’t stay here for it.”

The mischievous gleam in her eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Elsa, who felt her heart flutter as she began to wonder what Anna could possibly by cooking up for them both. She didn’t recall the princess mentioning any obligation either had to see to today when they’d woken up that morning, nor had she had wind of any guests they were expecting (since the castle was still winding down after the whole Westleton affair, it would be a little soon for such commotion to take place again), so Anna’s words definitely weren’t born out of some tight schedule they both had to keep to. _What on earth was she up to?_

Elsa didn’t urge the younger woman any further however, of a mind that if Anna did indeed have something planned (and her enthusiastic expression certainly lent itself to such a possibility), she might as well go along with it. Asking the princess would probably only ruin the surprise anyway, and Elsa didn’t really want to ruin the momentum simply out of a curiosity she could contain for another while at least, patience was one of her virtues after all. Besides, the excitement she could read all over Anna’s face as they exited the shop and the princess pulled her into one of her frantic runs once again, dashing by another range of display windows, puzzled looking families out on their weekly visit to the market and the odd stray cat here and there calling for food was not something that Elsa wished to erase, and as she followed her younger lover, she actually found herself slightly surprised to be enjoying the idea of Anna surprising her, and the excruciating wait she was now putting her through almost as much as the kind gesture itself.

They passed by both houses and shops alike in a blur, the only one thing Elsa did make out was pavement upon which their running feet echoed as they reached the more deserted parts of Arendelle before making it to the bridge and surrounding river just outside of the bustling city. The absence of noise was al little destabilizing at first, so used to it had both of them gotten, but quickly, the serene melody of the flowing water of the nearby river floated to Elsa’s ears, calm and peaceful, and as she followed Anna’s lead through the numerous little white dotted flower at her feet, she found it all to be oddly relaxing: the two of them in a completely natural amphitheater filled with long blades of emerald green grass that reached up her leg, tickling her ankles, a clear blue sky stretching over their heads where a bird and it’s little hatchlings darted over the treetops in the distance, and the few purple narcissus scattered here and there made the whole bucolic picture seem to have been taken straight out of a mix of an artist’s finest work upon which a refined poet would have transcribed their own graceful words in an elegant scripture.

Anna’s shoulders relaxed, as she carefully set down the paper bag Kristoff had generously offered them as they had left his shop, and eased herself to the ground quietly, almost afraid that uttering a single word louder than a mere whisper would disturb the enchanting spell unfolding in front of them. _This_ was the life she wanted.

“Remember last time we were both here?” She mused, voice barely above a murmur, the sheer beauty of the scenery swallowing it’s noise and instead, leaving naught but a trace of nostalgia in the wake of her words, a sort of longing for a past they could not repeat, “We made the-“

“The flower crowns, I remember.” Elsa smiles ruefully as her fingers brushed the petals of the purple flower next to her knees, almost willing the touch to be accompanied by the same feelings they had shared back on that day.

“Do you want to try and make them again?”

They both beamed as their nimble fingers weaved together the fragile petals, turning them into something stronger as they linked them to one another, creating a new wholeness out of multiple individual small and delicate leaflets, and the act felt oddly familiar, as if their bodies had never given up the memory of that first time they had done this while the incident itself may have been pushed to the backs of their minds. Another little gem recovered, another little fantasy that they had created brought back to the light of day and re-moulded again admits laughter, kisses and skillful work. As Anna cautiously brushed off the dust and pollen residues from her last petal, she then raised the delicate confection over Elsa’s bowed head, placing the colourful flowers atop her mop of blonde hair, giving Elsa’s forehead a chaste kiss when her hands let g of the royal attribute.

_Queen of my heart._

When comparing Elsa to the scared, meek, skinny little thing she remembered her to be when she had first stepped into the walls of Arendelle castle, Anna was thrilled to see none of that poor girl in the face looking back at her. Elsa now radiated confidence, strength, _happiness_ -true happiness- and while it wasn’t something Anna could see or touch with her own bare hands, just having the knowledge that Elsa was basking in such positive concepts was enough for her to be happy right then. Getting to see how far she had come, to see her having managed to grow into her own person, gain her own independence, master her body and feelings and how she chose to express them, and knowing that for the most part, Anna had been the one there every step of the long and rocky road towards self-confidence, encouraging  her to believe in herself whenever she could, reminding her that there was no shame in being who she was and getting to see Elsa finally loving herself, it was simply hugely rewarding.

Elsa loving her back was just the icing on the cake. It meant both everything to her that there was someone out there who was so devoted, stayed by her side through thick and thin (a loyalty that she would endeavour to return for as long as she lived) and loved her as fiercely as she herself loved the older girl. And it was something that Anna had decided she would remind Elsa of as frequently as possible from now on, for she had come to realize the significant importance of communication between them. While at times it certainly wouldn’t be pleasant, Anna had no illusions that there would be fights and disagreements between them sometimes, such things were expected in a couple, taking the time to talk it through calmly like she had talked Elsa through believing in herself and trusting in her powers was what Anna now felt was the right thing to try to do.

“Do you ever just get that feeling when something feels so... I don’t know, just feels so _right_?”

Elsa’s quiet question made Anna ponder for a moment.

Right and wrong had for a long time, for her at least, been a concept of justice in the way that a decision made by her father would be right or wrong depending on the set of rules families like hers seemed obligated to abide by. More often than not, justice and what was deemed morally correct stemmed from social customs and form a general consensus among members of the society of Arendelle and the authorities such as the Crown, choices that would frame social life rules. Anna herself had, for a long time, just went along with it because to her, it had become somewhat of a norm to merely conform to the laws of her city (laws her father had always tried to make fair for everyone concerned, be they rich or poor), since they had been a framework in which she had grown up. A norm she automatically abided by, of sorts.

Except that Elsa had changed all that. Loving a servant was no common feat among royalty such as herself, and even rarer was the richer party willing to let everything go to be with the latter (as a matter of fact, Anna had never really heard of it happening in any neighbouring kingdoms, as of yet), and coming to the eventual acceptance that her feelings went far beyond mere platonic affection for the blonde and went against the rules established by the class of society she belonged to had been an incredibly difficult thing to come to terms with. Being groomed from her birth to take up the throne, the pride at endorsing such a responsibility in her family’s name was immense, and it had been an ever present shadow looming over her shoulder as she had grown up. It had been a daily goal to strive for, an inevitable fate she would be bound to, or at least, it had been, until Elsa had unexpectedly come in to her life. And discovering with her so many other facets there were to life – _simple_ life, devoid of the grand artifices she was constantly plagued with- and namely how much being valued for _herself_ and being able to return the favour in kind had meant to Anna ad been a very destabilizing experience, all the more so with nobody around her able to understand what exactly she had been going through when she’d called things off with her partner.

“I...I don’t know. For a long time, right and wrong were to me words that held only a legal meaning, you know what I mean? Someone steals a loaf of fresh bread from the bakers, that’s wrong. Someone saves a woman from drowning, that’s right. That’s sort of how my life was ruled for a long time, because while I thought that I was doing the right thing by leaving you behind, telling myself that it’s what I needed to do because a written text dais so, those weeks spent apart showed me that it was actually the complete opposite. It felt _wrong_ seeing you like that, alone again and with nobody t really turn to, it felt _wrong_ to give up all the hard work we had accomplished together, it felt _wrong_ of me to go back on my word and leave you floundering without so much as an explanation for my actions, and most of those feelings were born out of abiding by the words dictating our society. It was _me_ , I realized, _I_ was the one who could actually see for myself what was right and wrong, and that it didn’t necessarily apply to the law at all.

I know I can’t ever take back what I sais and what I did but-“ And on impulse, Anna tightened both her hands around Elsa’s, “Know that I am so, _so sorry_ for doing that to us, to _you_. I would take it all back if-“

Her heartfelt apology was cut short by a pair of wet lips crushing her own, toppling them over into the soft bed of lush green grass and coloured flowers, as she gently lay atop her older partner, fingers at the side of her face as they gave each other every ounce of love they could spare into their shared kiss.

It was both sweet and passionate, a sense of discovering something new with a twinge of a most welcomed past coming back to the surface after being repressed for far too long, as both Anna and Elsa in that moment redefined what it meant to be together (and for good, this time around), taking all the time in the world to savour every possible angle of the definition. Creating ‘ _them’_ was a mutual dance, where the two girls both gave and received everything from one to the other, giving birth to something intrinsically unique –something nearly secret, known to them alone and that nobody else could ever hope to be privy to- a tiny ember they could now take care of together with the upmost love, passion and devotion to make it last for the rest of their lives.

Laying her weary head on Elsa’s chest, Anna could hear her partner’s heartbeat beneath the silky and soft material of her dress, beating loudly and full of love, a mirror of her own, and looking back up to her face to find a full range of pearly white teeth smiling brightly back at her was the best picture Anna could dream of.

“I really love you, you know that?”

It was a quiet confession, a whispered promise meant for Elsa alone, as Anna’s lips brushed hers, pouring her words into her mouth before sealing the pledge with another kiss, one Elsa responded to of her own free will.

“Me too.” Her hand came up to Anna’s back, hugging her close so the princess could nuzzle her neck, the tickly feeling making her laugh. This, Elsa figured, must be the quintessence of life, the little moments like this, devoid of grand opulent ceremonies and of pompous artificial sentences unable to convey the true rawness of one’s feelings. This simple, basic, nearly empty surroundings, which only reinforced the true weight of their feelings for one another, was where she as actually able to _feel_ the sheer magnitude of just how much her love for Anna and the royal’s love for her meant to her. How it meant everything that they now had all the time in the world to fully explore it, live with t day in day out with no fear whatsoever of seeing it come to an abrupt end, and staying by each other’s sides no matter how things might change around them in the future.

“How about one of those chocolates form Kristoff’s? Fancy one?” Anna murmured in her ear form where she lay atop her, her hand already inching towards the discarded fabric back to their left and pulling out the carefully wrapped treats.

Without waiting for an answer form Elsa –or knowing all too well that the older girl would only give a resounding _yes_ to her question- Anna unwrapped the tiny treat and brought it to Elsa’s lips, already chewing on her own one. The blonde took it complacently, closing her mouth around the offered snack only to have Anna’s mouth seal her lips closed with her own. Elsa stifled a giggle as Anna deepened the kiss, a balanced blend of sweetness and delightfulness leaving her wanting for more when the younger woman pulled away, almost apologetic.

“So, how is that for a new beginning?”

“Sounds rather good,” Elsa conceded, face flushed and cheeks almost sore from the wide grin that simply wouldn’t go away, “a promise then, that this time, it’s you and me?”

“You and me for good.” Anna said determinately, fingers coming over her heart to draw a cross on the fabric of her dress, much like when children solemnly swore to keep their friends’ secrets safe. It gave the whole situation a certain juvenile feeling, of young love, of something reborn and ready to flourish, a small bud that both Anna and herself would care for and make grow together, and the promise of upmost honesty that Elsa could read in her eyes only deepened her resolve to believe in this second chance they were so lucky to be getting.

She involuntarily shivered when something slightly cold touched her neck, a tiny spot of cold and-

“Elsa, are you doing this?”

They looked at each other. A moment of silence past. And then they laughed, Anna cupping Elsa’s face in both her hands and kissing her nose before bringing it to rest on her shoulder, the princesse’s arm coming to wrap itself around the other girl’s shoulders as they both looked up towards the multitude of pearly white snowflakes that were now dancing around them, the thin icy confections landing all around them and painting a new tableau of a pure blank slate, the particles fitting together just like Elsa fit in her broken pieces and just like she had helped Elsa mend the many she had had when she had first set foot in the Arendelle castle., back when they had first met.

Of course, it hadn’t always been easy, there had been a few missteps and misunderstanding here and there, but Anna and Elsa had mended that and decided to put it behind them in order to move forward, had sealed it off with a box of chocolates and a kiss by way of proof that this was a promise of a new future together. The white canvass now at their feet was nothing more to them than a confirmation that what they shared, it was special, it was _true_ , and most of all, it was something that they would make last. Anna’s fingers carding through the long strands of blonde hair, Elsa’s calm breath on her chest, the princesses’ heartbeat directly beneath her ear and the feeling of her warm skin under her palm, they were both at peace.

Two women finding each other again, the promise of unity as they watched the setting sun kiss the pink horizon, putting an end to what was said and done and a the promise of giving birth to something new when it rose again the next day.

Tomorrow, they would wake up together, ready for a new life.

Tonight, they would fall asleep in each other’s arms, a light quilt of pale snowflakes enveloping their delicately intertwined souls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are, nearly two years later and this story is finally coming to an end, hope you enjoyed it! :)


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